Who will star as Bilbo Baggins in the upcoming film version of The Hobbit? You can cross one name off the list: Daniel Radcliffe. The star of the Harry Potter films says he has no interest in any new project “with any wizards in it”. “I’d have to say, ‘Thanks, but no thanks’, not that anyone has asked me,” the 20-year-old said.
“Honestly, I don’t think they would want me anyway, it’s just too close. Whatever I do next, I don’t think there will be any wizards in it!” Radcliffe is now at work on the seventh and eighth films in the Harry Potter franchise, and by the 2011 release of the last film in the series, he will have spent more than a decade inhabiting the role of the orphaned boy wizard. The sixth Potter film, released in July, is closing in on $830-million (R6,3-billion) in worldwide box office. The collective franchise is now more than $5,3-billion in global box office. More..
Earl on our message boards has a great find this morning as Hugo Weaving talked with Drew McWeeny about “The Hobbit” while on press duties for “The Wolfman.” His character Elrond seems a lock to be in the film and the actor is open to it as well, although he hasn’t been contacted from the film which has yet to receive the official green light.
Weaving said, “I’d be interested in doing it. I would love to work with Guillermo Del Toro very much. I think he’s a fantastic talent, a great director.” Read the rest of the story here and discuss it on our message boards.
Claire writes: I just thought I’d let you know that there’s now a website with details of The Hobbit stage play’s tour all handily in one place. More..
Glorfindel writes: National Radio is just running an interview with Ian Brodie in which he talks about Hobbiton. Nothing new but he does confirm that the set will be open when building works begin, although not date on that.
Michael Martinez writes: I’m not sure how many of you are fans of the LEGEND OF THE SEEKER television show but I was recently given the opportunity to interview Craig Horner, star of the show, for Xenite.Org. The interview is now available online.
With ninth months of intensive shooting for Legend of the Seeker Craig doesn’t get much time to do other projects. Still, considering that he is in New Zealand, I could not help but ask: Any chance you might have a role in ‘The Hobbit’? Read the rest of this entry »
Peter Jackson has revealed he didn’t want to direct The Hobbit, because it would be too much pressure. The Oscar-winning filmmaker, who directed the films in the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, chose not to direct the two-part prequel of Tolkien’s novels but will be revising the script with wife Fran. More..
Thanks to Ringer David for sending us this link to a blog post from Daniel Hannen at the Daily Telegraph:
I’m not sure that we properly appreciate The Hobbit as children. We enjoy the story, obviously, and the pace, and the characters. But only now, reading the book to my eight-year-old, am I touched by the pulse of the prose.
It is a book written to be read aloud. Tolkien understood the power of incantation: the way in which, as Philip Pullman puts it, reciting a fine poem makes you feel as if you were voicing words of power, chanting a spell.
Follow the link to read the full article. [Read More]
This morning the now ten nominations for “Best Picture” for the 2010 Academy Awards were announced as as expected, there are plenty of ties to the LOTR community.
“Avatar” with powerful ties to Weta Digital and “District 9,” produced by Peter Jackson and with conceptual design (not an Academy category) also from Weta, are competing in the “Best Picture” category. The two films are also nominated in “Best Visual Effects,” and “Best Editing.” Each film received other nominations as well. See inside for a full list of all nominations and talk about it in our forums. Read the rest of this entry »
Glorfindel writes: We went to Hobbiton yesterday to check out what was going on but nothing much seems to have changed. Everything’s being irrigated therefore the hedgerows are a bit bushier and the apple trees are fruiting (although the pears aren’t doing so well). Gandalf’s cutting has been restored.
I did think some of the gardens would be planted up by now, with the supposed start date in a few months – it doesn’t cost much to sow a few seeds after all – but I guess they do have to wait for that elusive greenlight. Also they may leave filming Hobbiton towards the end of the shoot. Who knows? Anyway it was a beautiful day and although the Hobbit holes look somewhat dejected it is a lovely spot and we did feel the first tinglings of excitement! Read the rest of this entry »
From the MTV Movies Blog: The fantastic performance by Elijah Wood in Peter Jackson’s adaptation of “The Lord Of The Rings” trilogy has set the bar for hobbit roles everywhere. Well before Frodo there was Bilbo, star of Guillermo del Toro’s upcoming adaptation of “The Hobbit”. ” When MTV’s Josh Horowitz spoke to Wood at Sundance this week, he asked the “Rings” star who his pick would be for the as-yet-uncast role.
“I honestly love the initial rumor from way back when, which was James McAvoy,” he said.
He’s not alone. As anyone who saw and enjoyed “Wanted” knows, McAvoy is able to capture the right blend of bumbling goofiness and reflexive courage that is so necessary to capturing the Bilbo Baggins character.
“I think he would be fantastic,” Wood said. “I’m a fan of his work and I think he’s the right age and I think that he has a quality to him that could fit quite nicely with what Ian Holm did in the first movie.”
