  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 Local News Coverage – Casting UpdateCheck out these two video clips from local coverage of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit casting Billy Connolly as Dain Ironfoot, cousin of Thorin Oakenshield. His character is set to appear in both movies and this casting announcement completes the official cast. [Complete Cast] [Hobbit Section] TV One News Report Billy Connolly Joins The Hobbit Cast! Official Release
In the films, Connolly (“The Last Samurai,” “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events”) will play Dain Ironfoot, a great dwarf warrior and cousin of Thorin Oakenshield. Peter Jackson welcomed the news of Connolly to Middle-earth: “We could not think of a more fitting actor to play Dain Ironfoot, the staunchest and toughest of Dwarves, than Billy Connelly, the Big Yin himself. With Billy stepping into this role, the cast of “The Hobbit” is now complete. We can’t wait to see him on the Battlefield!” ‘Star Trek’ nabs Benedict Cumberbatch
Behold, The Hobbit Trailer & Frame by Frame!UPDATE! We’ve added our frame by frame analysis to TORn now with a full page of Hobbity goodness. Find it right HERE. As you can imagine, the poor TheOneRing.net server has been hammered and is crumbling under the pressure of a trailer release. As a result, we’ve added our first pass at a Hobbit Trailer frame-by-frame analysis as a gallery on our Facebook page. Check it out and share your thoughts/opinions! [Facebook Frame-by-Frame] And of course, enjoy the trailer right here on TORn and then visit the official website TheHobbit.com! Revealing Tweets peg John Bell as Bain, Bard’s sonThanks to Ringer Gaer Carreg for doing some digging and sending in this Oct 6th exchange between the official twitter accounts of actor John Bell and Luke Evans.:
Of course nothing is official until Peter Jackson updates us on his Facebook, but I think its safe to call this one: John Bell will play Bain, Son of Bard. [View Exchange] [Full Cast Listing] [Official John Bell Twitter] [Official Luke Evans Twitter] The New York Times is also listing John as Bain in their official cast listing here. Discuss »More about Casting Rumors, Headlines, Hobbit Cast News, Hobbit Movie, Luke Evans, Production, The Hobbit EXCLUSIVE: Hobbit Trailer Details Revealed
Thanks to Ringer Duff Man for sending in this exclusive summary of what we can expect to see in the upcoming ‘Hobbit’ trailer. Read on for his report. Warning: Spoilers lie ahead. Update – At the request of the Peter Jackson and the production, we’ve been asked to remove the trailer description. Look for the trailer in theaters and online soon! New WB press release and a mystery bit of casting
TORn Message Boards Weekly Roundup – December 4, 2011
Welcome to our collection of TORn’s hottest topics for the past week. 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! 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. 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… Viggo Mortensen will not be in ‘The Hobbit’
In an interview with Movies.com, the actor addressed the question directly and says that while he was once asked if he was willing to be involved, nothing has moved forward at this point. That may not be official, but its about as confirmed as information gets.
During the Middle-earth portion of the interview he mentioned the “bridge film” that was once part of the two-movie plan for The Hobbit but was later abandoned when the writing team of Jackson, Fran Walsh, Phillipa Boyens and Guillermo del Toro wrote the episodic children’s book into a two part movie. The mysterious bridge film was dropped. Moretensen also spoke of his third film with director David Cronenberg, titled A Dangerous Method, where the actor portrays Sigmund Freud. The full article is available right here. Discuss »More about Casting Rumors, Characters, Hobbit Book, Hobbit Cast News, Hobbit Movie, The Hobbit, Viggo Mortensen |
 
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Los Angeles, CA—February 8, 2012—Billy Connolly is joining the cast of Peter Jackson’s highly anticipated film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic “The Hobbit.” The announcement was made today by Jackson, who directed all three “The Lord of the Rings” films and is currently in production on “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” and “The Hobbit: There and Back Again,” with the films shooting back-to-back in New Zealand.
