For those of you who haven't recently re-read 'The Hobbit' to prep for the movies or have never read the book at all (shame on you!), this is Beorn who helps out the travelers along their way to the Misty Mountains; he provides the dwarves and Bilbo with ponies and food. He is described as being a big guy who lives alone in the woods with his animals and can change his shape into that of a bear. Not that this makes him some sort of werebear or anything; he just can change his shape. He really hates goblins and wolves and they don't come anywhere near his place or he'll come and fight them. Hopefully, he will be in the second movie and Peter Jackson will get his character right. He's the one who warns the dwarves and Bilbo about travelling safely through Mirkwood, but as we know (or should know) they don't follow his directions.