Other wizards?

[Tar-Meneldur]

Ok, you have Sauruman, then you have Gandalf, and then Radagast.

1. Why was Radagast not as much talked about in the movie?

2. Could there have been another wizard, that was ever talked about at all, or atleast very little?

[Elmo]

1. He was a very minor character in the book that could easily be replaced, Jackson having no qualms about getting rid of far larger characters (cough cough Tom Bombadil cough) so I don't think he lost any sleep getting rid of ole Raddy.

2. The only other wizards were the two blue and they according to JRR disappeared into the east and were never mentioned again basically so your stuck with the two we got

[Hookbill the Goomba]

From The Encyclopedia of Arda: On 'Istari'

Istari
The order of Wizards, the Maiar who came to Middle-earth after the first millennium of the Third Age. Of these, five came to the northwestern regions; Saruman, Gandalf, Radagast, Alatar and Pallando.

The wording suggests that there may have been more, but I think Tolkien might have mentioned it if there were more...

[Tar-Meneldur]

So in the order of Wizards it goes White, Grey, Brown, Blue.
Correct.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Hookbill the Goomba

The wording suggests that there may have been more, but I think Tolkien might have mentioned it if there were more...

To be more precise (at first I almost mistyped and wrote "precious" ) I might quote directly from the Unfinished Tales, and here it, I think, suggest that there actually were more:

Of this Order the number is unknown; but of those that came to the North of Middle-earth, where there was most hope (because of the remnant of the Dunedain and of the Eldar that abode there), the chiefs was five.

This, I think, states pretty exactly that there was more than five...
Nevertheless, as far as I know Tolkien never mentioned any others (and I think we might be glad that he even had left us something about the two Blue Wizards remaining of the Five).

I hope this does not mean that PJ will dig up an army of seventy wizards to help in the Battle of Five Armies "But Wizards do not meddle in affairs of Men and Dwarves and Elves so directly." Saruman the White: "But this time we are in need of this intervention. Brothers, arise! March to the Lonely Mountain!"

[Tar-Meneldur]

True so ever true.

[Elladan and Elrohir]

Wow, I can just picture him doing that. Scary.

Actually, although it does say that in Unfinished Tales, I don't think Tolkien was set on there being more than five wizards. He gives an account of how the Valar came to send the Istari to Middle-earth, and in that account it is clear that there are five and only five. For myself, I think it makes a lot more sense for there to have only been five (after all, their purpose was to battle Sauron, and only one out of the five we know of did that successfully).

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Did anyone else ever think that Radagast could have been deliberately inserted into the movie so a dark-skinned actor could play him? It would be rather like Talangar the Black in the South Park Lord of the Rings episode. Sort of an in-joke at the whiteness of the cast.

[Rhod the Red]

Jackson was a bit of an editor, so to speak.

[mhagain]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

I hope this does not mean that PJ will dig up an army of seventy wizards to help in the Battle of Five Armies

Ssssshhhhhhh....

You might give him ideas