It’s one of the things that we’ve been waiting for and waiting for — the opportunity to see what Peter Jackson’s Beorn looks like in human form. From the front.
For some this will be a huge SPOILER. So run away now if you’re avoiding them!
But thanks to our friends at hobbitfilm.it, we can finally show you what Beorn the shapeshifter looks like face-on. It seems that the image comes from the movie tie-in book The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug – Annual 2014.
Note the axe that he’s holding in his right hand, too. When the now slightly infamous calendar shot of Beorn from behind found it’s way onto the internet, some wondered why Beorn’s left arm was at an odd angle. It seems likely that he’s holding that massive axe.
So what do you think? Do you like the forked beard look? Does the front-view allay the fears that many expressed when the low-resolution calendar image leaked? Let us now your thoughts in the comments below!
Introducing Beorn!
TheOneRing.net can confirm that this the real deal. We have been able to obtain from NZ photographer Tim Clayton a license to reproduce a high-resolution copy of one of the photos he took at the Paradise set from outside the exclusion zone while filming was taking place back in 2011. As the crop — see below — of this photo reveals, there is a be-whiskered Mikael Persbrandt standing beside Peter Jackson, waiting for the crew to finish preparations.
Update: The Production has asked us if we could remove our exclusive spy image for now. But rest assured, it really is Beorn above.