'Lost' Star Evangeline Lilly Cast As An Elf In 'The Hobbit'

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- "The Hobbit" cast now has a few more "Freckles."
Director Peter Jackson announced that former "Lost" star Evangeline Lilly will be joining the cast as an elf.
"Evangeline Lilly will be playing a new character--the Woodland Elf, Tauriel," Jackson wrote on his Facebook page. "Her name means 'daughter of Mirkwood' and, beyond that, we must leave you guessing!"
The director squashed any future fanboy rumors that the addition of Evangeline is a sign of an elf romance brewing with another favorite pointy-eared Middle Earth resident.

"No, there is no romantic connection to Legolas. What is not a secret is how talented and compelling an actress Evangeline is; we are thrilled and excited she will be the one to bring our first true Sylvan Elf to life," he continued.
Jackson also announced the casting of another of the book's characters on Sunday.
"I'm also highly excited that Barry Humphries will be portraying the Goblin King, in much the way Andy Serkis created Gollum... we're looking forward to seeing him invest the Goblin King with the delicate sensitivity and emotional depth this character deserves," he wrote. "Evangeline and Barry, along with Welsh actor Luke Evans as Bard and Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug, just about rounds out the major casting. I cannot wait to get stuck into these new scenes."
As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, the cast includes many of the original "Lord of the Rings" stars, including Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey; Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins; Cate Blanchett as Galadriel; Orlando Bloom as Legolas; Christopher Lee as Saruman; Hugo Weaving as Elrond; Ian Holm as the elder Bilbo; and Andy Serkis as Gollum.
The first film, "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," will be released on December 14, 2012, with the second film, "The Hobbit: There and Back Again," slated to hit theaters the following year on December 13, 2013.