Peter Jackson has announced additional casting for The Hobbit films (see “Hobbit Titles, Dates Released”) on his Facebook page.  Evangeline Lilly (Lost) has been cast as a new character, the Woodland Elf Tauriel. Jackson said that Tauriel means “daughter of Mirkwood,” and offered no further clues to the role.

Jackson also announced that Barry Humphries, whose character Dame Edna is well known on British and Australian TV, will play the Goblin King.  Jackson said the portrayal will be in “much the way Andy Serkis created Gollum."

The first block of shooting is now complete, according to the post, and the two new cast members will join the production for the second block of shooting.

Jackson also mentions Luke Evans as Bard and Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug, which he says “just about rounds out the major casting.”