First look at Evangeline Lilly in 'The Hobbit: the Desolation of Smaug'

[Zigûr]

I have no particular objection to her appearance, although I can't help but feel a slight "cut-price Arwen" vibe for whatever reason.
The most objectionable thing I've heard about this character is the alleged Elf-Dwarf romance (involving Kíli, perhaps?). Seems to just perpetuate the previous film's attitude that Dwarves are only "interesting" if they're basically just short Men.

Incidentally, is there a particular reason, do you think, that Tolkien never (to the best of my knowledge) suggests "half-Dwarves" or any interbreeding of that kind? Besides the insular nature of Dwarven culture, I mean. I always supposed that being "adoptive" children of Eru, there was something slightly alien about them in almost a physiological sense which put something of a divide between them and the explicitly "human" races which interbred: Elves, Men (including Hobbits) and Orcs (assuming they were Fallen Children). That's my more lore-based reason for why I find the romance rumour a bit dodgy.

Knowing PJ's tendencies though she'll probably end up with about three lines of incidental dialogue in large group scenes and lots of shots of her and Legolas intercut fighting spiders, werewolves, goblins, Ringwraiths, giant robotic Saurons, mûmakil riding slightly larger mûmakil, and Azog. Well, maybe that last one's a bit far-fetched...