Two films for The Hobbit? Invented materials to "fill in the gaps"?

[Essex]

It allows for more complexity. At that implied stuff with Gandalf and the White Council and the return of Sauron could be fully explored.

But this COULD make a very good movie if done well. Imagine Gandalf in Dol Guldur for example, and the smoke ring scene as I mentioned above or the White Council meetings etc.

therefore I would have no problem in having Galadriel and Saruman in the White Council sections of the film.

And to be fair, Arwen has lived for thousands of years, so why can't she be at Rivendell with her father? And exactly the same for Legolas with his father in mirkwood?