'Hobbit' exclusive clip: Gandalf warns Saruman of a powerful evil

The theatrical release of “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” is only a week away, but for those Peter Jackson fans who can’t stand the wait, here’s a Hero Complex exclusive sneak peek at a scene from the film.

The clip, which runs 1 minute and 11 seconds, foreshadows the events of “The Lord of the Rings,” set 60 years after “The Hobbit,” and features Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, Hugo Weaving as Elrond and Christopher Lee as Saruman sitting in council in the Elven city of Rivendell.

Against a gorgeous backdrop of a waterfall at sunset, the scene reveals Gandalf’s motivation in helping Thorin Oakenshield and his company of dwarfs reclaim their home kingdom from the dragon Smaug.

PHOTOS: 60 images from ‘The Hobbit’

“Smaug owes allegiance to no one, but if he should side with the enemy, the dragon could be used to terrible effect,” Gandalf tells the skeptical council.

“What enemy? Gandalf, the enemy is defeated,” Saruman tells the gray wizard. “Sauron is vanquished. He can never regain his full strength.”

Fans of “The Lord of the Rings” will see the folly of Saruman’s reasoning and the wisdom in Gandalf’s caution.

“There is something at work beyond the evil of Smaug, something far more powerful,” Gandalf warns the others. “We can remain blind, but it will not be ignoring us, that I can promise you.”

The first installment in Peter Jackson’s trilogy based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” opens Dec. 14.

– Noelene Clark
Twitter.com/@NoeleneClark

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