  Why Dain and Connolly is good news for ‘Hobbit’ fans
Here in the underground labyrinth that serves as TORn’s offices (with doors leading to L.A., Atlanta, Kenosha and Wellington among other places) a big sigh of relief could audibly heard. Dain II Ironfoot will be included; a talented actor, somebody who already looks like a Middle-earth dwarf, and is a skilled performer will be handling the role. Awesome. We have full confidence in Connolly — who is best known for his comedy — in what might be inspired casting. His credibility comes from small, dramatic roles (The Last Samurai) which he handles just fine but more from independent films, playing larger parts and lead roles, giving him a lot of experience in front of the camera. General audiences may only think of comedy (and there may be plenty of that in The Hobbit anyway) but they should recognize his considerable talent. Much more central the sigh of relief was the clarity that the Dain character is in. The complete absence of this important dwarven hero from news or casting announcement was a genuine concern among those trying to piece everything together. It was a glaring omission.  Discuss »More about Billy Connolly, Casting Rumors, Characters, Hobbit Book, Hobbit Cast News, Hobbit Movie, Peter Jackson, The Hobbit TORn Message Boards Weekly Roundup – January 23, 2012
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LA Times: New Pic of Martin Freeman as Bilbo Surfaces – The naming of Sting?
*SPOILERS* The LA Times Hero Complex column has a new pic of Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins in the upcoming ‘The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.’ And while the pic is amazing…it seems to capture almost exactly the following moment from The Hobbit book: (Chapter 8 : Flies and Spiders)
The naming of Sting!! Can’t wait to see more images. For the full LA Times article, please follow the link. And thanks to Ringer John for sending us the heads up. [Read more] [Full Res Image] Wired: “Why the Hobbit Trailer Creeps Me Out”
What’s he on about? Well, he noticed something in the teaser (one that many other people did as well), but he’s gone a step further and drawn some interesting parallels to one of the most controversial and bizarre changes that Walsh and Boyens made for The Return of The King. Of course, this being the internet, your mileage may vary. Naturally, there are movie spoilers. Read the full article on Wired. Mikael Persbrandt Talks A Wee Bit About Beorn
Here’s the translation of the relevant bits that Anton sent along.
Bret McKenzie Talks About Figwit and Lindir
In answer to the question about whether Figwit and Lindir are one and the same, here’s what Bret had to say:
ComingSoon.net promises the full interview will be available soon. Thanks to Ringer spy Daniel J. for the heads-up. Stephen Fry Talks “Cowardly, Greedy” Master of Laketown
Besides descriptions of the look of the Master, there’s also mention of Bard the Bowman being a horserider, and hints to the design of Laketown itself, a “smelly city that’s on stilts in the lake below the mountain where Smaug the Dragon lives”. We wonder if the geography has been changed for dramatic effect. What do you make of that!? Watch the video HERE. By the way, our message board members are discussing this video even as you watch it. Feel free to join in! Discuss »More about Characters, Hobbit Cast News, Hobbit Movie, Peter Jackson, Production, Stephen Fry, The Hobbit Bard’s Son Bain to be Seen in The Hobbit?
Son and heir of Bard the Bowman who.. Spoilers!!! highlight to read! killed the dragon Smaug, and a king of Dale. He was succeeded by his son Brand. Official Release: HarperCollins Publishers Releases Enhanced eBook of The Hobbit
HarperCollins Publishers Releases Enhanced eBook of The Hobbit David Brawn, Publisher of Estates at HarperCollins, said: “It is customary for publishers to release new editions of books to commemorate milestone anniversaries, and as we entered The Hobbit’s 75th year, we felt we should acknowledge its success not only in print but also in the eBook world. Many thousands of readers have embraced The Hobbit in the two years since it was first released as an eBook, and with the growing availability of color-enabled devices, we felt it was time to offer an alternative edition, complete with Tolkien’s color pictures from our popular Deluxe edition. Together with J.R.R. Tolkien’s now famous half-hour recording of Bilbo’s encounter with Gollum, the recent discovery of three further unreleased extracts – one long and two short – meant we have been able to enhance the eBook even further. At a time when there is so much speculation about how others are visualizing The Hobbit, it is rather special to be able to read the novel with Tolkien’s own pictures and with parts of it read in his own voice, for a truly authentic experience.” NZ Herald: Actors journey to Middle-earthThe New Zealand Herald has written this They might be leading men in their respective countries but it’s not their famous faces which have got them heading to New Zealand to join the cast of The Hobbit. English actor Benedict Cumberbatch – best known as the latest television incarnation of Sherlock Holmes – will be motion captured as dragon Smaug as well as delivering the voice of Necromancer (later known as Sauron in The Lord of the Rings trilogy). The other, Swedish star Mikael Persbrandt, is already in the South Island playing Beorn, a shapeshifting mountain man who is sometimes a bear. While The Lord of the Rings trilogy was a career launchpad for many actors, both Cumberbatch and Persbrandt come to The Hobbit with established profiles. Read More… Ian McKellen Updates “Hobbit” Blog
Read more of Gandalf’s adventures by clicking the link provided above. Discuss »More about Characters, Hobbit Cast News, Hobbit Movie, Ian McKellen, Lord of the Rings, LotR Cast News, Production, The Hobbit  |
 
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If you’ve fallen behind on what’s happening on the Message Boards, here’s a great way to catch the highlights. Or if you’re new to TORn and want to enjoy some great conversations, just follow the links to some of our most popular discussions. Watch this space as every weekend we will spotlight the most popular buzz on TORn’s Message Boards. Everyone is welcome, so come on in and join in the fun! MINOR SPOILERS FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN’T READ THE HOBBIT
Join us today for Live chatting and mischief with Quickbeam! We have a very interesting subject today: DEBUNKING GANDALF / GALADRIEL ROMANCE RUMORS, among other things, illuminated by host Clifford Broadway on our streaming video show – You can also join the broadcast via our BARLIMAN’S CHAT built right into our Live Event Area — showtime today at approx. 5:00pm Pacific Standard Time!
Wired’s Erik Wecks makes a compelling case for Tolkien fans to not get too excited about the Hobbit.
As we excitedly reported last week, HarperCollins Publishers have released an 
