Saruman than in their equivalent books, and he appears in several scenes that are not depicted in Tolkien's work. In the films, Saruman is depicted presenting himself outright as a servant of Sauron. Smith and Matthews suggest that Saruman's role is built up as a substitute for Sauron—the story's main antagonist—who never appears directly in the book. Jackson confirms this view in the commentary to the DVD. They also suggest that having secured veteran British horror actor Christopher Lee to play Saruman, it made sense to make greater use of his star status. Despite this increased role in the first two
The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game The Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game (abbreviated to "LotR SBG"), previously marketed as The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Strategy Battle Game and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Strategy Battle Game and now as The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies Strategy Battle Game, is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop. It is based on "The Lord of the Rings" film trilogy directed by Peter Jackson, and the book that inspired it, written by J. R. R. Tolkien. The game was initially released in 2001 to coincide in