The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The Desolation of Smaug… and Drama: The Real-World Tea Behind Middle‑earth’s Messiest Movie

Fire-breathing dragon on screen, slow-burn chaos off it. From broken promises to courtroom battles and red-carpet awkwardness, “The Desolation of Smaug” came with enough real-world drama to fill an extended edition all by itself.

On-Set Drama & Emotional Meltdowns

Gandalf vs. the Green Screen

Sir Ian McKellen found The Hobbit’s tech-heavy shooting style so miserable he literally broke down crying on set. Forced to act alone against green screens while other characters were added later, he reportedly sobbed, “This is not why I became an actor,” and even considered quitting acting altogether ^[7]. The Guardian later confirmed he found the experience on the first Hobbit film so grueling that it almost pushed him out of the business ^[6].

Thorin Didn’t Unpack His Bags

Richard Armitage (Thorin) has admitted he arrived in New Zealand expecting to be fired at any moment. He was so convinced he’d be replaced that he didn’t even unpack when he first got there, living like a dwarf on the run instead of the King Under the Mountain .

Martin Freeman Nearly Lost Bilbo

Behind Bilbo’s anxious energy? Some very real scheduling panic. Martin Freeman came close to losing the role due to clashes with Sherlock, until Peter Jackson reportedly shifted the entire production schedule to keep him as Bilbo Baggins – a move Freeman later credited with saving his shot at Middle‑earth .

Cast Feuds & LGBTQ+ Outing Controversy

Ian McKellen’s “Oops, Did I Out You?” Moment

During press for The Hobbit, McKellen casually mentioned that several actors on the films were gay, name‑dropping Richard Armitage, Lee Pace, and Luke Evans along with already‑out stars like Stephen Fry . The problem? At that time, not all of them were publicly out.

• Reddit threads and gossip pieces later framed it as McKellen “accidentally outing” his co-stars ^[4][5].
• The moment caused a mini‑storm in fandom spaces, with fans debating whether he’d overstepped or just spoken too freely about something everyone inside the industry already knew.

Romance Rumors & Red-Carpet Awkwardness

The Promise Peter Jackson’s Team “Broke” to Evangeline Lilly

Evangeline Lilly only signed on as Tauriel under one hard condition: absolutely no love triangle. She has repeatedly said she told producers she would not do another Kate-Jack-Sawyer situation after Lost .

• Then “Desolation of Smaug” arrived… featuring the now‑infamous Kili–Tauriel–Legolas love triangle.
• Lilly later called the storyline “not totally Tolkien” and clearly not what she signed up for ^[8].
• Fan backlash was intense: Tolkien die‑hards slammed Tauriel/Kili as “bad fanfic” and unnecessary Hollywood romance ^[3]. The controversy still rages in Reddit threads and essays dissecting whether Tauriel was ruined by that plotline.

Orlando Bloom & Evangeline Lilly: The Kiss Heard Round the Fandom

At the LA premiere, paparazzi caught a recently single Orlando Bloom getting a very public smooch from co‑star Evangeline Lilly on the red carpet ^[10]. The clip shows Lilly leaning in and Bloom happily accepting the kiss as cameras flashed like fireworks over Lake‑town.

• Gossip sites and Pinterest boards immortalized the moment, fueling rumors about behind-the-scenes chemistry ^[10][7].
• At the London/world premiere, Bloom later generated another mini‑headline when a photo set made it look like he was reluctant to hold Lilly’s hand for the cameras, prompting “AKWARD ELVEN ENERGY” coverage from outlets like HuffPost .
• Neither has ever confirmed a real-life romance, so any actual dating talk remains fan speculation.

Scandals & Lawsuits: The $75 Million Dragon Hoard

The Weinsteins vs. Warner Bros.: Battle for the Gold

While Smaug was rolling in Erebor’s treasure, Harvey and Bob Weinstein were trying to grab their own hoard. In 2013, they sued Time Warner/Warner Bros. for at least $75 million, claiming the decision to split The Hobbit into three films instead of two was a sneaky move to cut them out of profits on The Desolation of Smaug and The Battle of the Five Armies ^[8].

• They argued their original deal entitled them to a chunk of profits beyond just the first film.
• Warner Bros. clapped back, saying the Weinsteins were only ever owed money from one Hobbit movie and calling the lawsuit a “blunder” on the brothers’ part ^[8].
• In 2014, an arbitrator ruled in Warner’s favor; the Weinsteins lost the fight and got none of the extra dragon gold they were chasing ^[2].

Wild Trivia & Fandom Catnip

Thranduil Is Younger Than Legolas… Sort Of

In real life, Lee Pace is actually younger than Orlando Bloom, despite playing his regal Elven father. Social media has gleefully resurfaced this tidbit for years as the ultimate example of “hot fantasy dad casting” ^[13].

Smaug the Method Dragon

Benedict Cumberbatch went full goblin mode for Smaug: crawling on all fours in a motion‑capture suit, snarling, hissing and contorting himself to physically embody the dragon before animators even touched the footage . Behind‑the‑scenes reels show him writhe around the studio floor like an overcaffeinated wyrm.

Tauriel vs. the Fandom

Whole essays and forum debates popped up trying to defend or condemn Tauriel. Some argue she brought much‑needed female presence and heroism to the story; others dismiss the Kili romance as “weak,” “gratuitous,” and a betrayal of Tolkien’s tone ^[2][3]. To this day, “Tauriel discourse” is practically its own sub‑genre of Hobbit fandom drama.