In ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug‘, we’re going to be introduced to Mikael Persbrandt’s (‘In A Better World’) character, Beorn. The’ve been doing a good job at keeping him out of the promotional material so far, but for those familiar with the novel you know that he is a skinchanger, or shapeshifter. This latest featurette has Ian McKellen’s (‘X-Men: Days of Future Past‘) Gandalf describing him as, “A man who is sometimes a bear, and a bear who is sometimes a man.”

What’s really cool about showing off the set is everything is scaled in a way to make the actors look smaller than they really are. This is fitting as in the novel, Beorn was an extremely large man and when he changed into a bear he was also large in his animal form. To put it in perspective, in the book, Bilbo’s three and a half foot tall self felt that he could have walked between Beorn’s legs without having to duck and not touch him. So we’re talking freakishly huge here.

Persbrandt is currently set to star in both ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug‘ and ‘The Hobbit: There and Back Again’ where I suspect we’ll mainly be seeing him in bear form fighting against the goblins unless that is somehow fully resolved in this winter’s entry into the series.

Check out the featurette below:

Synopsis:

‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’ continues the adventure of the title character Bilbo Baggins as he journeys with the Wizard Gandalf and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield, on an epic quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor.

Having survived the beginning of their unexpected journey, the Company continues East, encountering along the way the skin-changer Beorn and a swarm of giant Spiders in the treacherous forest of Mirkwood. After escaping capture by the dangerous Wood-elves, the Dwarves journey to Lake-town, and finally to the Lonely Mountain itself, where they must face the greatest danger of all – a creature more terrifying than any other; one which will test not only the depth of their courage but the limits of their friendship and the wisdom of the journey itself – the Dragon Smaug.

Dying to learn more about Beorn? Love the look of the set? Sound off below on your thoughts on how the set of his house is perfect for the look that they are going for!

‘The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug’ is directed by Peter Jackson and will open in theaters on December 11, 2013.

Source: Collider