Peter Jackson has cast the final major role in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, with Luke Evans signing on to play Bard.

The character Bard the Grim is said to be an expert archer, who is also the heir to King Grion of Dale's throne. The character is said to have a much larger role in the second movie, The Hobbit: There and Back Again. The character's action scenes are said to be reminiscent of Viggo Mortensen's Aragon character in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The voice of Smaug has still not been cast, although Bill Nighy has been rumored for the part.

Luke Evans will next be seen in The Three Musketeers. He has been a finalist for several major roles as of late, including the lead in The Bourne Legacy, which went to Jeremy Renner, and Tom Buchanan in The Great Gatsby, which Joel Edgerton won.