Bilbo Baggins casting announced.

[Yuki-Anne]

Martin Freeman has been cast as Bilbo. He's a fan favorite from the British version of the Office, and you may recognize him as Arthur Dent from the recent Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy movie.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/film/4264520/Martin-Freeman-set-to-play-Bilbo

Edit: with this article, they also announced the casting of the Dwarves as well, and I have to admit, I'm really surprised by a lot of them, I guess mostly because I always pictured all the dwarves as old bearded guys. But a lot of those cast as Dwarves are pretty young (and some are surprisingly good-looking), which begs the question... what do you think of the casting?

[Radical Dreamer]

I can totally see Martin Freeman in the role of Bilbo, so I think that's an excellent casting choice! As far as the dwarves go, I haven't seen pictures yet, but if Peter Jackson enlists the help of Weta for the prosthetics, costumes, and makeup again, I think it'll be entirely believable regardless of how old they are. XD Anyways, that's exciting news!

[Cognitive Gear]

Martin Freeman as Bilbo is perfect casting.

I don't really have opinions on the others, since it has been so long since I read The Hobbit that I am not sure what I should expect from them.

[TWWK]

Eh, I don't know Martin Freeman too well. I've only seen him in a...er...shady role in Love Actually. His look seems to fit, at the very least.

I was wondering about Ian McKellen, who wasn't mentioned in the article I read. He's said he's in a number of times in the past, but there maybe isn't anything definitive yet?

[Atria35]

Martin Freeman looks the part.....

But I'm with TWWK on who's playing Gandalf!

[Yuki-Anne]

Rumor has it McKellen has been attached to the project from the start, but there's no definitive word yet on whether he will be playing Gandalf. Same goes for Andy Serkis. Nobody mentions Hugo Weaving, but I think he's necessary as well.

Judging by Freeman's performance in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (which was, admittedly, a disappointing film, through no fault of Freeman's), I think he suits Bilbo just fine. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I'm struck by the similarities between Bilbo Baggins and Arthur Dent.

[TWWK]

Info from iFilm:

More info to come in the next few minutes. Mr. Jackson is also expected to confirm the return of Ian McKellan as Gandalf, Andy Serkis as Gollum, and announce roles for Jimmy Nebitt and David Tennant as well. Other actors mentioned by Deadline as possibles are Stephen Fry, Saoirse Ronan, Aidan Turner as a possible Elf King and Bill Nighy as a potential voice for Smaug the Dragon.

[Radical Dreamer]

Oh maaannn this is so exciting. XD I knew that Ian McKellan would be making a return, but I will be extraordinarily stoked if Serkis comes back as Gollum (and really, how could he not? XD). Judging by looks alone, I hope David Tennant is being considered for the role of Bard. Because I could totally see him as that character. XD

I'm not sure if Hugo Weaving's return is necessary, because I don't really remember Elrond being in The Hobbit. It's been a while since I've read it, but as I recall, they only really crossed paths with the Mirkwood elves, and since Elrond is in Rivendell, I don't think it should be an issue. I could be wrong, though. I need to read the book again. XD

[Roy Mustang]

Rumor has it McKellen has been attached to the project from the start.

Yeah, its not a rumor as Ian was the first one to be signed up for the hobbit, but they just haven't release it.

Same actors will be playing Elrond, and Gollum as before.


[font="Book Antiqua"][color="Red"]Col. Roy Mustang
[/color][/font]

[ShiroiHikari]

Elrond has a couple of scenes in The Hobbit but he's not around all that much. Still, if they're going to put him in the film they'd better get Hugo Weaving if they can.

[Yuki-Anne]

Elrond is the one who helps them read the map. I remember Rivendell vividly from The Hobbit because it always held a certain magical quality for me.

And did somebody say David Tennant? Because HOLY TARDIS YES! All potential changes to the book would be instantly forgiven. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping he is cast as Thranduil. Or, if he replaces Hugo Weaving as Elrond, I will be okay with that. SO OKAY WITH IT! XD

And Aidan Turner is playing either Fili or Kili, not an Elf.

[ShiroiHikari]

I don't know who any of the actors are that were recently cast, but I actually kind of like it when directors cast unknowns, so.

[Radical Dreamer]

Yeah, (largely) unknown casting fits well for these types of movies as it is. XD The LOTR trilogy was full of unknowns (unknowns then, at least), and it obviously worked really well, so hopefully the same will happen for The Hobbit!

[KhakiBlueSocks]

I would be remiss in my duties as a Trekkie without saying the following:

When I first saw the title of this thread, the first thing that popped into my head was the following video. Please note I will not be held responsible for this song being stuck in your head:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC73PHdQX04&feature=related

[Yuki-Anne]

I didn't even watch the link, but I know what it is, and thank you, it is now stuck in my head. Without me even watching it.

I am so mad at you right now.

[ShiroiHikari]

Yeah, (largely) unknown casting fits well for these types of movies as it is. XD The LOTR trilogy was full of unknowns (unknowns then, at least), and it obviously worked really well, so hopefully the same will happen for The Hobbit!

Some were unknowns and some weren't-- I think they had a good mix of well-known actors and more obscure ones. Before I saw LOTR, I had never heard of Orlando Bloom, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Sean Bean, or the two guys who played Merry and Pippin whose names have escaped me. Actually, I had seen Sean Astin in some movies before, when I was a kid, I just had forgotten who he was by the time I saw LOTR. XD Guys like Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, and Ian McKellen have been around a long time though. I remembered Ian Holm from Alien...how could you forget that guy after seeing him go crazy and spew milk blood everywhere?

[Radical Dreamer]

Some were unknowns and some weren't-- I think they had a good mix of well-known actors and more obscure ones. Before I saw LOTR, I had never heard of Orlando Bloom, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Sean Bean, or the two guys who played Merry and Pippin whose names have escaped me. Actually, I had seen Sean Astin in some movies before, when I was a kid, I just had forgotten who he was by the time I saw LOTR. XD Guys like Ian Holm, Christopher Lee, and Ian McKellen have been around a long time though. I remembered Ian Holm from Alien...how could you forget that guy after seeing him go crazy and spew milk blood everywhere?

Oh yeah, totally; I definitely didn't mean the cast was made up entirely of unknowns, just that a lot of them were. XD The same goes for John Rhys-Davies; he was in a lolton of movies before LOTR came along. XD

[the_wolfs_howl]

I don't know that guy, but his face does look like it'll fit as Bilbo.

And I seem to remember that Kili and Fili are supposed to be younger, and besides that Elijah Wood certainly wasn't 50, so I'm not all that surprised about the younger actors.

Obviously, Ian Holm couldn't reprise his role because he couldn't make himself younger, but since all the other returning characters are like...immortal...it would be pretty stupid if they didn't get the same people back. (Hears an echoey flashback voice of Elrond saying, "I was there, Gandalf. I was there three thousand years ago.")

One thing I think we can rely on is that John Rhys-Davies would never have wanted to play the role of his father Gloin, what with the prosthetic disaster he experienced in LotR. Wonder if any of the other dwarves will have problems with that....

[Htom Sirveaux]

My first thought was, "Why not Ian Holm?" But he's older than I realized.

[Yuki-Anne]

CG, people. We can always pull a Beowulf and use real actors with CG masking to make them look different. Because we all know how well that worked out.

But alls I'm sayin is, Ian Holm can be young again.

[TWWK]

Actually, I had seen Sean Astin in some movies before, when I was a kid, I just had forgotten who he was by the time I saw LOTR.

I was about to say! At the very least, every guy should know Rudy, right?

[Sheol777]

I would be remiss in my duties as a Trekkie without saying the following:

When I first saw the title of this thread, the first thing that popped into my head was the following video. Please note I will not be held responsible for this song being stuck in your head:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC73PHdQX04&feature=related

I did not think to see this here....and I should have.

Oh my gosh, this killed me!

[ShiroiHikari]

I would be remiss in my duties as a Trekkie without saying the following:

When I first saw the title of this thread, the first thing that popped into my head was the following video. Please note I will not be held responsible for this song being stuck in your head:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC73PHdQX04&feature=related

Don't do drugs, kids.