More Bilbo, Thorin, Dwarves, Elves and hopefully Smaug were recently announced for the upcoming The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Extended Edition Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D combo pack releases. In total 25 minutes of additional footage has been spliced back into the film, and Warner Brothers has shared a little over two minutes worth of the new footage on YouTube that you can watch below.
In the new scene, Bilbo (Martin Freeman) and his traveling companions come upon a body of water and no functioning bridge with which to traverse it. There are some low lying vines and tree branches that might serve as an adequate means of passage, but someone will need to go first and make sure the vines can support weight.
Dwarves far outnumber the lone Hobbit so Bilbo loses and is forced to make his away across first as the guinea pig. There might be something stirring in the water — something bad — and Bilbo becomes transfixed with what lies beneath the surface.
After a moment of fixation, Bilbo snaps out of his haze and makes it to the other side. The Hobbits follow, and one of them for some unknown reason falls asleep directly over the water and then the scene cuts.
It’s easy to see why Peter Jackson and his editing team decided this sequence wasn’t necessary for the theatrical cut. It feels longer than it is and offers virtually nothing to any of the characters or story. There are many other perils the Hobbits face in their journey to Smaug and this is by far the least exciting.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Extended Edition Blu-ray 3D and Blu-ray combo packs arrive in stores on November 4. Expect The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Extended Edition Blu-ray combo packs to be available in November 2015 following the same schedule as the previous extended edition releases.
