I read the book

[Summer]

I had finally read the book all the way through and I am hoping that Peter Jackson will parallel the movie to Tolkien's work. If so, is the character Beorn going to be in the movies?

I am also curious as to what Smaug will look like. Does anyone have any pictures of what he will look like?

Other things:
I know that Tolkien added some characters that were not originally in the book such as Frodo, Legolas, and then a new female elven character.

[Bill The Pony]

Yes, Peter Jackson is adding a few familiar faces to THE HOBBIT that weren't there. Word has it that Frodo will be there as a "framing" scene, since Bilbo wrote his adventures down in the "There and Back Again" book that he gave Frodo. So he might be there in a couple scenes reading the book, but likely not more.

They are arguing that Legolas WOULD have been at the Battle of Five Armies with his father, it's just that Tolkien hadn't written his character yet. So putting him there now is like historical continuity. (Personally, I think they just wanted to guarantee at least SOME of the girly appeal to THE HOBBIT, which is unabashedly an all-guys adventure book.) Likewise, I'm not certain about the new female character.

What we know of Smaug is that he will be CG Motion-Captured, and will be voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch, who is best known as the titular character in the BBC's popular revision of SHERLOCK HOLMES (playing opposite Martin Freeman--our Bilbo--as Dr. Watson).

Hope this helps!
-BTP