By all accounts, hobbits will look very much like they were described in the original novels. The hobbit actors wear prosthetic, hairy feet made out of latex. Some reports indicate that their facial features will be slightly altered with the help of visual effects to give them a unique look, specifically eyes that are a little larger than normal. They will be reduced in height through a combination of CGI effects, specially produced sets, and good old-fashioned camera trickery.

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The facial features of actors portraying Elves will reportedly be subtly manipulated to give the audience the impression that they are not looking at humans, but rather a similar yet unique type of being. A combination of makeup and CGI will add a soft glow to their appearance. Prosthetic ears will also be used to increase this effect. The goal, apparently, is to create a race of creatures that are human-like but with an otherworldly quality to their overall appearance.

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Some of the Dwarves in the films, especially the larger roles such as Gimli, will be played by regular-sized actors who will then be shrunk digitally using the same technology that will shrink the actors playing hobbits, while others will be played by real-life dwarves.

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According to reports, Moria orcs will have greenish, scaly skin, while the Uruk-Hai orcs will be black and smooth-skinned. Moria orc armor consists of leather and chainmail, and will have a spiky look. Orc facial features will be created through the use of both prosthetics and computer effects.

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Gollum will be brought to life completely by a combination of computer animation and motion capture technology. The programs designed by the special effects team to animate Gollum will give him realistic bone structure, muscle movement based on actual organic tissue, and flesh-like skin, so that he will not have an unrealistic, computer-generated look. Peter Jackson has stated that his goal with Gollum is to create a fully realized character who elicits a feeling of pity from the audience, and the inner conflict between Smeagol and Gollum will come into play. The casting team searched long and hard for an actor who could provide Gollum with a voice that ranges from harsh and menacing to calm and melancholy. Character actor Andy Serkis, largely unknown up until now, ended up getting the part. Serkis can be seen in the 1999 Academy Award®-winning film Topsy-Turvy, as well as in a few other small roles in recent movies. The exact details of Gollum’s appearance have not become available yet, but we’ll keep you updated on any further developments.

Gollum Character Page

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Since it is one of the most well-guarded secrets on The Lord of the Rings production, Jackson and crew have not released any definite details about the portrayal of Sauron in the Third Age, only stating that the character will take on a more active role in order to give the audience a tangible villain. It’s a very safe bet that he will actually appear onscreen with the aid of visual effects, and that Jackson’s design team will have cooked up a memorable and truly frightening villain for us to enjoy. Recent information has confirmed that Sauron will be portrayed by a human actor in the flashbacks to the Last Alliance, and a glimpse of the character design from these scenes can be spotted in the first Fellowship of the Ring trailer.

Sauron Character Page

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Another well-kept secret by Jackson and company, the Balrog did make an appearance in the Cannes footage. The creature will be entirely computer-generated, and since well-known Tolkien artist John Howe is working on concept art for the films, the creature will more than likely resemble his artistic interpretation, with pincer-like horns and, yes, wings! In addition, Jackson stated in an early interview that the first Balrog designs did in fact have wings.

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The Nazgul will be portrayed by real actors with the help of makeup and visual effects. They will apparently have a major role in the films, as much so as in the books, but it isn’t clear at this point whether we will see any background regarding their fall into Sauron’s grasp. Several glimpses of the Nazgul in costume can be seen in the downloadable teasers and trailer (available here: http://www.lordoftherings.net/previews). There is no information at this point regarding the film version of the Nazgul’s winged steeds.

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It is now confirmed that Ents will in fact play a role in the movies, and will be created fully by WETA's digital effects team. According to TheOneRing.net spy Galadriel, Ents will "look more tree-like than human-being-like but somewhat transform from tree into walking being." In Jackson's original interview with Ain't It Cool News, he stated that the films would contain scenes of the Ents storming Isengard. In addition, John Rhys-Davies, who portrays Gimli in the films, will also provide the voice of Treebeard.

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E!Online's "Insider" column reports that "New Zealand wildlife is a little short on giant spiders, so Shelob will be completely computer generated. Elijah Wood (Frodo) and Sean Astin (Sam) performed their scenes with the evil eight-legger against a blue screen." No information has been made public regarding the actual character design of Shelob, however.

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