Who should be in The Hobbit?

Hooray - the best Xmas present I'll get this year.

http://www.darkhorizons.com/news07/071218n.php

Roll on 2010.

Now we can really start conjecturing about the cast that was the whole point of this thread when I started it over a year ago.

Gollum and Gandalf are pretty much certain, as is Elrond. From memory they are the only three characters that appear in both books. My guess is that Aragorn, Arwen, Legolass and Gimili will get shoe-horned in somehow. Possibly Sauroman as well.

So the main questions form casting point of view will be...

Who will play Bilbo? Ian Holme is too old now (see ealier posts for possible cameo).

Who will be the voice of Smaug? Probably the most intriguing casting.

Who will play the dwarfs?

With filming due to start in (early) 2009 for a 2010 release, most casting will hopefully be done by mid next year.

My daughter will be 5 1/2 when the first film comes out... do you think that'll be old enough to sit through probably 3 hrs?
 
That's not the point, what dragon would have a soft voice?



Bilbo isn't that much younger in The Hobbit. They even show the part where he found the ring in LOTR.
 
That's true, isn't he meant to be 50 when he starts? Plus he hasn't aged much between The Hobbit and LOTR so lookswise he probably could do it.

I'd like him to play him, he just is Bilbo now.
 
Just noticed this on RAB's headlines page:

Jackson not wanted for The Hobbit

TBH, I'm not sure I'd want to see a version directed by anyone else. I was so nervous about going to see LOTR as it's always been my favourite book, and Peter Jackson and his team did such a stunning job, that I don't think another director could match his achievement. The whole look and feel of the film would be different, which would be a terrible shame.
 
Very interesting. Makes it sound like it's all political positioning by New Line. I wonder how the contract terms if a film is 'in production'? I would guess that if they have a contract with a director and a production schedule set then they will have a further timeframe (5 years say) to get the film made and released. New Line are probably hoping to get someone signed on so that they getthe extra time, then try to sort out their issues with PJ in order to re-sign him.
 
Just read some comments made by PJ & GDT about the Hobbit/Prequel. http://www.darkhorizons.com/news08/080526b.php Good to hear preproduction is underway and that as much of the original cast as possible will be brought back (I assume that means as long as their paret of the story). Interesting point about about Sir Ian Holme being used. Made me think of a post I made previously.



I can really see this being the way they go now.

Can't beleive all the wrangling has been sorted and things are in motion. I can't wait for December 2011!
 
OK, so things are going to be a bit slower with a December 2011 release. So my daughter will be (quickly counts fingures) 6 1/2 - easily old enough.. except it's probably going to be a PG12 rating (don't know how when the book was written for children). Grrr.
 
Can't help but feel this is Jackson playing the game. I think New Line are calling his bluff. There's probabaly a deal ont he table over the accounting issue, and new line are trying to get PJ to accept it. But PJ by releasing the statement on the most popular fansite is trying tog et fan power behind him.

I can't imagine they'd sort it out. In anycase I'm sure MGM who own the distribution rights would put pressure o new line.

Hobbitt without PJ just wouldn't be the same.
 
Quite agree. The ring kept him from aging much:

"Good to see you. One hundred and eleven years old - who would believe it? You haven't aged a day."
 
Now I'm not usually the cycnical type to see conspiracies behind everything, but an intriguing thought has occurred to me.

The current legal battle between PJ and New Line concerns the profit share of the first movie, FotR, more specifically the merchandising, video and computer games releases associated with the film. This was proably an area of the original contracts not covered adequatley enough and open to interpretation by either side. As I said before in this thread, I have no idea of the monetary amounts involved. While I'm sure it's many millions of dollars, I would expect it to be reletively minor compared with the overall amount PJ has earned from the three films, and the potential earnings he would make from The Hobbit and the 'prequel'.

My understanding was that PJ and his production companies had had a very good relationship with New Line throughout the production and release of the trilogy, so this lawsuit was perhaps a bit 'out of the blue' but as a profit making company, any irregularities concerning contracts and earnings would probably have to go through the courts.

Now, ever since making LotR and King Kong (for which I think PJ made a phenomenal amount taking a share of the profits rathet than a flat fee) PJ has set himself up as an independant film maker rather like George Lucas, being able to fund films himself and only needing the help of the studios for distribution purposes. PJ originally looked at getting the film rights to The Hobbit himself, but discovered they were already optioned by other people (MGM & New Line). PJ was probably not interested in the distribution deal, but would probably have liked to get New Line's rights to make the film. Knowing that these rights expired in 2007 (not sure when exactly) and New Line would be desperate to sign him and his comapnies to make the new films, he could use the legal wranglings as a stalling tactic until the rights expired and he could step in and buy them himself.

Like I said, this is me being cynical and is purely conjecture. I do find it interesting, however, that it was PJ who publicised this latest development by sending an e-mail to TheOneRing.net. New Line have not made any statement about this what-so-ever. It seems to me that PJ has used the on-line community to try to put pressure on New Line not to go with anyone else.

Surely it is totally within PJ's power to solve this situation? Does he want to make The Hobbit or not? If so, either drop the legal case for the time being, or more likely, carry on with that but agree to make The Hobbit anyway.

Of all the recent mega block busters, LotR was the least about making money. New Line took a chance by financing it with no guarantee of return. PJ took a massive chance spending nearly 10 years developing and making the films. The actors and crew took a chance being involved in such a risky enterprise. It was the solid and complete belief that what they were doing was true to the books and a fitting adaptation of one of the masterpeices of literature that allowed the films to be made. Now the Tolkien franchise (I hate that word) in being turned into a cash cow no more meaningfull than SW or any of the other Hollywood franchises.

Does The Hobbit deserve any less respect than LotR?
 
So James McAvoy is favourite to play Bilbo, with other rumoured names including Daniel Radcliffe and Jack Black?

I've only ever seen McAvoy in Shameless, but he was good in that and I hear he's a very good film actor too. Doesn't really look like my imagining of the part, but nor did Elijah Wood as Frodo in LotR.

Jack Black is a decent comedy actor, and does look kind of like a hobbit, but I'm not sure he'd be right for Bilbo.

But Radcliffe??? If he gets the part I won't watch it. He's awful.
 
Hobbit aging is different from ours, 50 is around what youd expect someone who is 30 to be, so I think Ian Holm is a bit out of the question unless they CGI him younger.
 
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