The first entry in what is now The Hobbit trilogy is set to hit theaters later this year, but director Peter Jackson is still holding plenty of footage and characters back until the films’ release.  One of the main characters that fans have been interested to see onscreen is the Goblin King, and we may now have our first look at Jackson’s grotesque take on the character.  The antagonistic role is being played by Barry Humphries in the feature films, and it looks like Jackson may be utilizing quite a few practical effects to bring the creature to life.

Hit the jump to take a look at the images, though be warned that they may very well spoil what the Goblin King looks like.  The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opens on December 14th, 2012, followed by The Desolation of Smaug on December 13th, 2013, and There and Back Again on July 18th, 2014.

Peter Jackson has added two more to the cast of The Hobbit. Evangeline Lilly (Lost) and Australian actor Barry Humphries have joined the cast of the two-part adaptation, currently filming in New Zealand. Lilly will be playing a new character—The Woodland Elf, Tauriel. Beyond the name, Jackson is remiss to reveal any other information about the role. Humphries, a talented voice actor and comedian, will be playing the Goblin King using motion-capture, akin to Andy Serkis’ performance of Gollum.

Hit the jump to read Jackson’s fully statement on the casting news. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will be released on December 14^th, 2012, with The Hobbit: There and Back Again hitting theaters on December 13^th, 2013.

It was created with Claymation, its main characters speak with adorable accents, and funny-looking animals are involved – but “Wallace and Gromit” this ain’t.

Director Adam Elliot won an Oscar for 2003′s “Harvie Krumpet”, a 23-minute animated short about a one-testicled, Tourette’s-ridden World War II survivor and animal rights activist, and he brings that same gift for unique characters and melancholy overtones to his debut full-length feature “Mary and Max”. My review after the jump: