BREAKING: First Look at Lee Pace as Thranduil!

Harper Collins has just released The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Almanac 2013 (alternately called The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Annual 2013)! It is available on Amazon.co.uk for £7.99. You can also find it at the Weta Cave! (US Hobbit fans can pre-order on Amazon for its November 6 release.)

According to Middle-earth News reporter Jack Machiela of NZNoldor.com, “The book is a hard cover, issued by HarperCollins Children’s Books, and it’s essentially a puzzle and activities book for kids. It’s a lovely looking book, very glossy and lots of fun stuff for the younger crowd, say, about 7-10 year olds.

“What’s a little odd is that it’s such a high quality pressing – it’s supposed to be scribbled on by children, which seems such a waste of a great looking book. It’s a beautifully bound hardcover with full colour glossy pictures on all pages. What’s also a bit odd is that the book is aimed pretty much at the children that The Hobbit book is aimed at – age 6 and up. Wasn’t Peter Jackson making a much darker movie? Why aim this at the younger market? Isn’t that a bit like having a “Texas Chainsaw Massacre Crayon Colouring Book”?

“One of the most delightful pages is the one that shows King Thranduil (played by Lee Pace) in all his glory. It’s officially the first time he’s been seen – there’s been lots of speculation about what Legolas’s father might look like, but here he is!”

 You can certainly see the family resemblance to his son, Legolas, played by Orlando Bloom.

Jack has more pictures on his website. Make sure to visit! Flickr user BexlinJ has also uploaded some photos from the book. Prepare to geek out!

I love Thranduil’s crown and think he looks spot on! What do you think of our first look at the Elven king of Mirkwood?