Luke Evans – Bard
Luke Evans appeared in all three films of The Hobbit trilogy, as both Bard the Bowman and Bard’s ancestor Girion, adding a very human element to the cast among all the hobbits, wizards, elves and dwarves. Evans, who is Welsh, is a recognisable face and a longtime favorite of the British theatre, but he’s set to take his place on the world stage with a couple of huge upcoming projects.
High Rise is an adaptation of J.G. Ballard’s novel about an insular society also starring Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons and Elisabeth Moss. There’s also the controversial remake of The Crow, in which Evans will star as Eric Draven, the same role in which Brandon Lee was killed while performing. You can check out Luke Evans in a couple of very differing past roles: small-town British rom-com Tamara Drewe, or as Apollo in Clash of the Titans.
Lee Pace – Thranduil
Where were you when you saw the first promo shots of Lee Pace’s Thranduil riding a moose and knew, in your soul, that you were not in the slightest bit prepared for whatever The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey had to offer? Is that moment engraved on your brain? Maybe that’s just us. Oh well. We can’t promise any antlered steeds in Pace’s near future, but he is currently starring in Halt and Catch Fire, an AMC show about the 1980s computer revolution that will return with a second season in 2015, and he’ll guest star in an episode of The Mindy Project, so that’s almost as good as riding a moose.
On the big screen, he’s been cast in Revolt, a sci-fi drama about an alien invasion, and Icon, a biopic about cyclist Lance Armstrong and the journalist set on exposing him. If you’d like more of Lee Pace immediately, go directly to Pushing Daisies, do not pass Go, do not collect $200. You can, of course, also see him as Ronan in summer smash hit Guardians of the Galaxy.
Evangeline Lilly – Tauriel
Tauriel was one of the very few Middle-earth characters created by Peter Jackson, rather than originating in Tolkien’s novels and appendices. Evangeline Lilly did an admirable job of bringing this character to life and adding a much-needed weapon-wielding female element to the sausagefest that is The Hobbit trilogy – even if she did hate the love triangle aspect.
Fans of Lost will always remember Lilly as Kate, so if you were never on the Lost bandwagon and have been waiting for an opportunity to start that wild ride, here’s your big chance. As for the future, we’ll soon see her join the ranks of another huge franchise – the Marvel Cinematic Universe, specifically Ant-Man. Lilly is playing Hope Van Dyne, the daughter of original Ant-Man Hank Pym. Hope becomes a rather interesting supervillain in the comics, so keep your eye on her come July 2015.
Orlando Bloom – Legolas
Orlando Bloom will always hold a special place in the hearts of some Lord of the Rings fans, because this franchise made him. Most of the original LoTR cast had pretty well-established careers before taking part in this global franchise, but “Orli” was a true unknown – he auditioned for the much smaller role of Faramir, and was cast as Legolas two days after graduating from drama school. He has since sky-rocketed to A-Lister status, and 2014 saw him receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He’s been a part of this journey since day one, and it’s how we were introduced to him, so it’s especially weird to see him finally move on from Middle-earth.
But move on we must – Bloom stars alongside Anna Kendrick in Digging For Fire, currently slated for January 2015, and he’s also attached to the new Michael Apted thriller, Unlocked. If you want to delve into his back catalogue and check out some movies in which he doesn’t play a long-haired elf or a long-haired pirate, try Elizabethtown, The Good Doctor, Black Hawk Down, or the filmed production of his Romeo and Juliet on Broadway.
Cate Blanchett – Galadriel
You’d be hard-pressed to find a more regal lady than Cate Blanchett, so casting her as Galadriel was always one of the most inspired parts of Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth world. With six Oscar nominations under her belt, Blanchett is never going to be short of high-quality film offers, and we’re so glad she had time to dig out her Elven ear-tips and return to this little fantasy franchise for a bit of light flirting with Gandalf.
In 2015, Blanchett can be seen in Disney’s live action Cinderella, in Terrence Malick’s surreal and glamorous Knight of Cups alongside Christian Bale, in the 1950s lesbian drama Carol, and in Truth, based on the memoir of a newsreader involved in the scandal about George W. Bush dodging the Vietnam draft. She’ll also star onstage in The Present, an adaptation of a Chekhov play by the Sydney Theatre Company. Pretty much every film of Cate Blanchett’s career is worth watching, so let’s pick a couple at random – Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, artistic Bob Dylan biopic I’m Not There, and Australian classic Oscar and Lucinda.
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