The Telegraph reports today that Sir Ian Holm, who portrayed Bilbo to perfection in the Lord of the Rings, was contacted previously to reprise his role as an “older Bilbo” in the upcoming Hobbit films, but he hasn’t heard back from the producers since. Excerpts from the Telegraph’s article follow:

“I don’t know what’s happening,” the 79-year-old actor admitted to me at the Saatchi Gallery. “I haven’t heard anything for weeks.”

“I had great fun playing Baggins in the first two films and the plan had been, with Martin Freeman playing Young Baggins, I would be the Old Baggins,” he adds. “I suppose the earthquake in Christchurch couldn’t have helped with communications.”

Sophie de Stempel, Sir Ian’s wife, tells me: “I worry that the film has run into so much bad luck that they might have missed their chance altogether.”

Here’s hoping we get to see Sir Ian Holm in the character of the memorable old Bilbo once again. In case you’re interested, the topic is already being discussed over at our message boards.