THE HOBBIT (Evangeline Lilly Speaks)

• THE HOBBIT

Evangeline Lilly

SFX spoke to former "LOST" star Evangeline Lillyabout starring in the upcoming Real Steel but also asked her about joiningPeter Jackson's two Hobbit films.

Asked how she was preparing for the role, Lilly said that"With every film, you have to educate yourself on the material and it'soften things you don't know a lot about. Right now I'm studying Elvish andhaving conversations with people about learning how to be an archer, aswordsperson and how to fight like an elf instead of a gritty convict."[Laughs]

The actress says she has been a fan of the books since shewas 13 and that she also was worried about the addition of her character Taurielto the story.

"I am very concerned to this day that people will watchthe film and I'll be the black mark on the film," she said. "I knowhow adamant the purists are and I'm one of them! That said, upon reading 'TheHobbit' again, as an adult, I can see why additional characters were needed toround out the story as an adaptation – especially female characters! 'TheHobbit' didn't include female characters at all and was a very linear story, abook for children, really. What Peter, Fran (Walsh) and Philippa (Boyens) havedone is all in perfect keeping with Tolkien's world, while adding a thirddimension to an otherwise very two-dimensional story."

Lilly added that she will be in and out of New Zealand forthe course of a year to film her role.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is scheduled for aDecember 14, 2012 release, to be followed by The Hobbit: There and Back Againon December 13, 2013.