And Bilbo is...

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**reds8n**

..the guy from The Office..

New Line Cinema has announced part of the cast of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit, confirming Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins in the two-movie adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s famed fantasy novel.

“Despite the various rumors and speculation surrounding this role, there has only ever been one Bilbo Baggins for us,” Jackson said in the press release. “There are a few times in your career when you come across an actor who you know was born to play a role, but that was the case as soon as I met Martin. He is intelligent, funny, surprising and brave — exactly like Bilbo, and I feel incredibly proud to be able to announce that he is our Hobbit.”

Freeman (The Office, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) will be joined by a company of dwarves composed, in part, of: Richard Armitage (MI-5, Captain America: The First Avenger) as Thorin Oakenshield, leader of the dwarves; Aiden Turner (Being Human) and Rob Kazinsky (EastEnders) as Thorin’s nephews Kili and Fili; Graham McTavish (Secretariat, 24) as Dwalin; John Callen (Power Rangers Jungle Fury) as Oin; Stephen Hunter (All Saints) as Bombur; Mark Hadlow (King Kong) as Dori; and Peter Hambleton (The Strip) as Gloin.

That’s only eight dwarves, so expect five more names to fill out Thorin’s company. The press release also doesn’t mention Ian McKellan and Andy Serkis, who are expected to reprise their Lord of the Rings roles as Gandalf and Gollum. Absent, too, is Hugo Weaving as Elrond, as well as characters like Beorn and Bard the Bowman. Presumably we’ll see more announcements in the weeks to come.

Casting, however, may be the least of The Hobbit‘s worries Although the $400-million project finally received a greenlight last week, Warner Bros. is still threatening to move production out of New Zealand following a union boycott.

Published in 1937, The Hobbit follows the home-loving halfling Bilbo Baggins, who joins a band of dwarves in a quest to reclaim the Lonely Mountain and its fabled treasure from the dragon Smaug.

The two films are set to begin production in February for release in December 2012 and December 2013.

http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2010/10/21/new-line-announces-hobbit-cast-confirms-martin-freeman-as-bilbo/

..I'm alright with that bit of casting.

**Erasoketa**

I think that guy fits quite good for Bilbo. And it's great to know that they also have quite advanced the dwarf's cast too!

**Kilkrazy**

He has the face for it.

I can easily envisage him as a young Ian Holm.

**reds8n**

Yeah, I've liked him in pretty much everything I've sen him in, he was great in ' Holmes recently.

I think the Thorin casting is very good too. as is Aidan Turner...

..must confess after that I'm lost..my Power Rangers knowledge is, thankfully, somewhat scant.

**Frazzled**

http://www.arbuturian.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/freeman4.jpeg

That works for me. I've also heard on NPR production is leaving New Zealand because of the union.

**Kilkrazy**

This morning's paper said they are going to move production to the UK.

**Tim the Biovore**

This is good new for me.

**Flashman**

I was reading The Hobbit yesterday and I'm struggling to see how they're going to make this a two parter. It's a very slight book and there's no appendix to help them pad out aspects of the story this time.

I also think the goblin fight (just before Bilbo encounters Gollum) is in danger of being a rehash of Fellowship's Moria sequence.

I will of course watch it, although without the poxy 3D glasses if at all possible.

Oh and thumbs up for Martin Freeman.

**MeanGreenStompa**

Flashman wrote:I was reading The Hobbit yesterday and I'm struggling to see how they're going to make this a two parter. It's a very slight book and there's no appendix to help them pad out aspects of the story this time.

I also think the goblin fight (just before Bilbo encounters Gollum) is in danger of being a rehash of Fellowship's Moria sequence.

I will of course watch it, although without the poxy 3D glasses if at all possible.

Oh and thumbs up for Martin Freeman.

From what I read, there will be large chunks of 'behind the scenes' prequel stuff going on as well, as the necromancer does his thing in the woods and various forces fight secret wars in the build up to the return of Sauron to Mordor.

**Flashman**

Fair enough, but I think it would have worked better as a single 2-3 hour film with a big arse battle (five armies, Woo Hoo!) at the end. The only thing of any relevance to Lord of the Rings is the Gandalf, Gollum and The One Ring and the story covers those quite nicely.

I wouldn't mind some kind of Necromancer subplot (he is mentioned in the text by Gandalf as something else that he is attending to).

**Frazzled**

Kilkrazy wrote:This morning's paper said they are going to move production to the UK.

Excellent. Similar climates. Plus with the power of Haggis! They can make the dragon effects even better.

**Tim the Biovore**

Frazzled wrote:
Kilkrazy wrote:This morning's paper said they are going to move production to the UK.

Excellent. Similar climates. Plus with the power of Haggis! They can make the dragon effects even better.

Hmm, I think the different setting will suit the Hobbit nicely.

**Morathi's Darkest Sin**

Yeah I think thats a pretty good choice, although I never caught the Office, I liked him in Hitchhikers.

**SilverMK2**

Plus they don't even have to use any CGI/makeup if they hire some of the locals on as goblins...

**Flashman**

I do like him as an actor, but a trip to see Mr Holm wouldn't hurt. Freeman tends to play glum and downtrodden and whilst there points in Bilbo's adventure when he is certainly glum and downtrodden, there are other occassions when he is lively and outspoken. I had trouble envisaging Freeman speaking some of the lines when I was reading yesterday, not so Ian Holm.

**reds8n**

Frazzled wrote:
Kilkrazy wrote:This morning's paper said they are going to move production to the UK.

Excellent. Similar climates.

We don't have anything as mundane as a "climate".

We have weather.

**whatwhat**

Looks fairly mundane to me.

Also if it moves to the Uk it will be because of the Union strike. Which means no Ian Mckellan or Hugo Weaving.

**Kilkrazy**

Apparently they are getting in some specialist modermakers from the US.

**whatwhat**

Who are making minas tirith...why?

**Kilkrazy**

http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/844765-man-makes-lord-of-the-rings-city-model-out-of-matchsticks

**whatwhat**

I see. So he's working on the film? Would be hard to match that I guess.

**Waaagh_Gonads**

whatwhat wrote:I see. So he's working on the film? Would be hard to match that I guess.

I see what you did there.

**Cannerus_The_Unbearable**

Was I the only one who immediately though "B.J. Novak" when I saw "the guy from the office?"

**whatwhat**

Cannerus_The_Unbearable wrote:Was I the only one who immediately though "B.J. Novak" when I saw "the guy from the office?"

I thought exactly the same.

**generalgrog**

whatwhat wrote:Looks fairly mundane to me.

Also if it moves to the Uk it will be because of the Union strike. Which means no Ian Mckellan or Hugo Weaving.

I tell ya there is so much money that Jackson helped to pump into the NZ economy those unions are crazy to try and shut The Hobbit down. Greedy Ingrates.

GG

**notprop**

Cannerus, do only think of Bj's when you see Martin Freeman or is it all Film actors?

**Ma55ter_fett**

If I were to split the book into 2 movies I would end the first right before they go into mirkwood.

This would allow them to really do justice to all the little things that make the hobbit such a great book.

Frazzled wrote:http://www.arbuturian.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/freeman4.jpeg

That works for me. I've also heard on NPR production is leaving New Zealand because of the union.

Wait, you listen to NPR... just when I think I might have you somewhat figured out...

**whatwhat**

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2010/oct/22/hobbit-martin-freeman-bilbo-baggins

That article says Ian Mckellan is confirmed as Gandalf in contrast to the one reds8n posted.

I hope they pronounce Gloin correctly this time. Instead of Gloyn like in fotr. It's Glow in and Oh in. Not Gloyn and Oyn.

**generalgrog**

Ma55ter_fett wrote:If I were to split the book into 2 movies I would end the first right before they go into mirkwood.

This would allow them to really do justice to all the little things that make the hobbit such a great book.

The rumor was that Part 1 would end with Smaugs slaying, with the second part dealing with the Dwarves defense of the treasure and the battle of five armies.

GG

**Monster Rain**

generalgrog wrote:
Ma55ter_fett wrote:If I were to split the book into 2 movies I would end the first right before they go into mirkwood.

This would allow them to really do justice to all the little things that make the hobbit such a great book.

The rumor was that Part 1 would end with Smaugs slaying, with the second part dealing with the Dwarves defense of the treasure and the battle of five armies.

GG

That would be fantastic.

I love the casting for Bilbo. Poor Mr. Baggins never could get the hang of Thursdays.