When we first heard that Richard Armitage would be playing mean and moody harp-player Thorin Oakenshield we were pleased.
But it seems that a section of the Internet doesn't agree, forcing Jackson to defend his choice.
"Thorin Oakenshield is a tough, heroic character, and he certainly should give Leggie and Aragorn a run for their money in the heartthrob stakes - despite being four feet tall." Jackson told Entertainment Weekly.
"In Middle-earth, dwarves are a noble race and have a culture and physical appearance which sets them apart from humans. It’s fun to develop these different cultures for the movie, and we are doing much more with dwarves this time around than we did with Gimli in Lord Of The Rings."
"Richard is a powerful actor with a wide range, and we’re very excited to be handing Thorn over to him."
Fair enough, we say. But then we always like it when Peter calls Legolas 'Leggie.'
