Peter Jackson to direct the Hobbit movies, probably

[JME2]

Actual filming wouldn't take a long time, maybe a couple of months or thereabouts, it's the pre- and post-production which takes a long time. If they start in February '11 I'd say a couple years before release, and I'd wager a '12 Xmas release for the first installment, and a '13 Xmas release for the second seems likely.

Agreed.

[Drooling Iguana]

The "problem" with a recast is that we already have a scene of Holm as younger Bilbo finding the ring in Fellowship. IIRC, the film's commentary mentioned how the skin of Holm's face was literally pulled back with tape or whatever to remove some of the wrinkles.

Should Bilbo have looked exactly the same when he found the ring as he did when he gave it to Frodo? The ring prevents you from ageing, after all.

[CaptainChewbacca]

The "problem" with a recast is that we already have a scene of Holm as younger Bilbo finding the ring in Fellowship. IIRC, the film's commentary mentioned how the skin of Holm's face was literally pulled back with tape or whatever to remove some of the wrinkles.

Should Bilbo have looked exactly the same when he found the ring as he did when he gave it to Frodo? The ring prevents you from ageing, after all.

The ring SLOWS aging. If it prevented it, Gollum wouldn't look like he did. The books said that while Bilbo was visibly older, he didn't appear AS OLD as he was. Think of a ninety-year-old looking like he was only seventy.

[JME2]

As I said earlier, consistency is really going to be a key problem for this film and having it link up with the trilogy in all areas (actors, sets, and music especially; if Howard Shore doesn't return, I'm going to be pissed).

[Crossroads Inc.]

Well Howard Shore AND Ian McKellen.

I mean Gandalf is in a good 60% of the Hobbit and I could not imagine someone other then Ian McKellen playing him.

Other then Gandalf the only other person they would really "need" is Hugo Weaving for Elrond. And he has only a bit part in "The Hobbit" so it shouldn't be too hard to get him.
Thats the whole thing, cast wise you "need" very few people since the only people from the movies in The Hobbit would be Bilbo, Gandalf and Elrond.

I could live with someone else playing Bilbo as long as the look was right. As others have said you could use Elijah Wood, since they are supposed to be related, but Bilbo is a VERY different role to play then Frodo, especially the Bilbo of "TheHobbit"
Whoever they pick for Biblo I'll be ok as long as it is a good actor, but you really need Ian McKellen for Gandalf, accept no substitutes.

[Koolaidkirby]

Well Howard Shore AND Ian McKellen.

I mean Gandalf is in a good 60% of the Hobbit and I could not imagine someone other then Ian McKellen playing him.

Other then Gandalf the only other person they would really "need" is Hugo Weaving for Elrond. And he has only a bit part in "The Hobbit" so it shouldn't be too hard to get him.
Thats the whole thing, cast wise you "need" very few people since the only people from the movies in The Hobbit would be Bilbo, Gandalf and Elrond.

I could live with someone else playing Bilbo as long as the look was right. As others have said you could use Elijah Wood, since they are supposed to be related, but Bilbo is a VERY different role to play then Frodo, especially the Bilbo of "TheHobbit"
Whoever they pick for Biblo I'll be ok as long as it is a good actor, but you really need Ian McKellen for Gandalf, accept no substitutes.

someone seems to be forgetting the very important role of the dwarves, and the guy who played Gimli (forget his name), could play Gloin his dad quite easily as well.

[JME2]

someone seems to be forgetting the very important role of the dwarves, and the guy who played Gimli (forget his name), could play Gloin his dad quite easily as well.

I'm afraid John Rhys-Davies already went on record saying he wouldn't take on the role of Gloin. It's common knowledge that he suffered an allergic reaction to the dwarf makeup and has no desire to repeat the experience.

[Molyneux]

someone seems to be forgetting the very important role of the dwarves, and the guy who played Gimli (forget his name), could play Gloin his dad quite easily as well.

I'm afraid John Rhys-Davies already went on record saying he wouldn't take on the role of Gloin. It's common knowledge that he suffered an allergic reaction to the dwarf makeup and has no desire to repeat the experience.

Well, that's a goddamn shame. If you want to think of any actor today who'd be tailor-made to play a dwarf...

[Drone]

someone seems to be forgetting the very important role of the dwarves, and the guy who played Gimli (forget his name), could play Gloin his dad quite easily as well.

I'm afraid John Rhys-Davies already went on record saying he wouldn't take on the role of Gloin. It's common knowledge that he suffered an allergic reaction to the dwarf makeup and has no desire to repeat the experience.

Well, that's a goddamn shame. If you want to think of any actor today who'd be tailor-made to play a dwarf...

Verne Troyer? Have they cast Thorin and his Companions yet? I looked but I didn't really see anywhere that it was listed.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Its twelve mostly-bit parts, I doubt there will be a lot of big names with the darves.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Its twelve mostly-bit parts, I doubt there will be a lot of big names with the dwarves.

[Dartzap]

Cast for Hobbit announced

Martin Freeman is set to star as Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson's two-movie adaptation of The Hobbit.
New Line confirmed the Freeman news, rumored for months, and also took steps to clear up other casting rumors by announcing a slew of other names, many of whom will play key roles of as part of the Company of Dwarves.
Richard Armitage, who stars on the U.K. series MI-5 and will appear in Captain America: The First Avenger, is set to play Thorin Oakenshield, the leader of the Company of Dwarves, who set off to reclaim the lost dwarven kingdom under the Lonely Mountain from Smaug, a thieving dragon.
Aidan Turner (Being Human) and Rob Kazinsky (EastEnders) will play Kili and Fili, respectively.
The remaining dwarves will be Graham McTavish (Secretariat, 24) as Dwalin, John Callen as Oin, Stephen Hunter as Bombur, Mark Hadlow as Dori and Peter Hambleton as Gloin.

Other key parts that soon to be cast include a host of human and elf roles -- including Elrond the sage, Beorn and Bard the Bowman -- as well as the voice of the dragon.

Expected to return from the Lord of the Rings films is Ian McKellen as Gandalf and Andy Serkis as Gollum.

The UTA- and Creative Artists Management-repped Freeman is best known to U.S. audiences for his work in the U.K, version of The Office, Love Actually, Hot Fuzz and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. He also plays John Watson in Sherlock, the BBC's Sherlock Holmes series that debuts stateside next week on PBS.

Wow, Peter Jackson steals a fair chunk of the Beebs current talent in one swoop

[Tsyroc]

How about Christopher Lee as the voice of Smaug, or would that be too weird with him being Saruman in the LotR movies?

[JME2]

How about Christopher Lee as the voice of Smaug, or would that be too weird with him being Saruman in the LotR movies?

It could work; we had Davies doing both Gimli and Treebeard after all.

[Crossroads Inc.]

Ian McKellen as Gandalf

yes YES! Whatever else happened it just would NOT be the same film without Ian as Gandalf, hazzah for locking that role in!

Now all the rest of my concerns are going to hoping they are able to maintain the "look" of the LOTR movies in The Hobbit. The fact that they have someone as Beron makes me think, like the LOTR, Jackson is going to include virtually everything from the original book. Heres looking forward to Riddles in the dark and the Barrel riding!

Oh yes! I really REALLY hope they are able to maintain some of the songs and poems that made the Hobbit so enjoyable. I KNOW that in the animated Hobbit many of us grew up with, that the music used was not Tolkeens own, but it added a lot to the mood and feel of the film. Hearing "roads go ever ever on" always sends a shiver down my spine even today from its emotional stand point, and you just can't have the same feel without goblins chanting "Fifteen birds!" when chasing the dwarfs.

[Captain Seafort]

How about Christopher Lee as the voice of Smaug, or would that be too weird with him being Saruman in the LotR movies?

Seconded, unless they can persuade Sean Connery to do it - he's had practice and is pretty damn good at it.

[JME2]

David Warner would make a good Smaug, IMO.

[Crossroads Inc.]

How about Christopher Lee as the voice of Smaug, or would that be too weird with him being Saruman in the LotR movies?

Seconded, unless they can persuade Sean Connery to do it - he's had practice and is pretty damn good at it.

I don't think so, Sean Connery has far too a "nobel" voice to do Smaug. I mean, Smaug is like a Wolf crossed with a snake, the type of voice such a creature has doesn't exactly bring up Seans firm dignified accent.

Lee indeed may be a better choice because he is already adept at a sort of oozing, hissing, syrupy voice he used for Saruman.

[Big Orange]

I have mixed reactions about Jackson directing this; the LotR movies were very successful, the end, but his odd pacing is distracting but then again The Hobbit is a less complex, more compressed novel than the Tolkien's three other novels. 2005's King Kong was his vanity project, planned and scripted years before his LotR movies went into production, but while the remake was certainly not beyond criticism I don't think it was on the same scale of epic fail as that Italian-US remake from 1976 and I found Ridley Scott's recent take on the Robin Hood legend more snore inducing.

[CaptainChewbacca]

Cast for Hobbit announced
Wow, Peter Jackson steals a fair chunk of the Beebs current talent in one swoop

No Kidding! With 14 dwarves to cast, this thing is kinda turning into a 'Roots' for British actors.

Edit: Upon re-reading, I'm a bit concerned that Elrond HASN'T been cast yet. Whats up with that? I recall reading that he'd been locked in a year ago.

[Crossroads Inc.]

Indeed, it isn't exactly a big part, but you think they should be able to get Hugo Weaving again for the role.

[Marcus Aurelius]

Indeed, it isn't exactly a big part, but you think they should be able to get Hugo Weaving again for the role.

Yes, unless he already has other commitments. He isn't exactly an A list actor and lately he seems to have been doing mostly voice acting, which is all well and good, but doing a normal acting role from time to time will keep even the voice acting role offers flowing better...

[Kodiak]

How about Christopher Lee as the voice of Smaug, or would that be too weird with him being Saruman in the LotR movies?

Seconded, unless they can persuade Sean Connery to do it - he's had practice and is pretty damn good at it.

I don't think so, Sean Connery has far too a "nobel" voice to do Smaug. I mean, Smaug is like a Wolf crossed with a snake, the type of voice such a creature has doesn't exactly bring up Seans firm dignified accent.

Lee indeed may be a better choice because he is already adept at a sort of oozing, hissing, syrupy voice he used for Saruman.

When I think of scary voices I think of James Earl Jones as Ommadon the Red in Flight of Dragons- he'd be perfect for Smaug.

Is there a page somewhere that has pictures of the cast?

[JME2]

It's too bad Sydney Greenstreet is dead; he'd have done a good Smaug.

[Tsyroc]

Richard Boone did a good job as Smaug in the 1977 animated version. Unfortunately, he is also deceased.