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!
On this episode of Hobbit in 5 we talk about Saoirse Ronan not taking part in The Hobbit, Hugo Weaving’s return, do a character study on Kili, and more!
Den of Geek has a great new interview with Sylvester McCoy who’s been cast in the role of the Wizard Radagast the Brown in The Hobbit. A few excerpts follow:
You’re heading off next to New Zealand to do The Hobbit, then! This must be the biggest adventure of all now?
I think it is, yeah. I think it’s a big one. I’ve had quite a lot of wonderful adventures in my life, and this one, I’m so excited.
When did you first hear, then, that you were close to landing a part inThe Hobbit? Because the rumour mill had been going for a while.
Well, last summer, Peter Jackson, Fran, and Phillippa flew over, and invited me for tea. So they got me a car, and drove over for tea. I thought it was more auditioning, because I’d screentested for it. But when I got there, they said would you play the part? Would I? No! Of course not!
They knew you from before…
Well, they saw my screentest for Radagast The Brown, and Guillermo del Toro, who was going to direct it, he’d okayed it. He was keen that I play the part. I didn’t know this, but I got it from the screentest. It wasn’t until I went to see them for tea that I knew. They were asking my permission to be in it!
There’s more Hobbit-related bits in the interview, and trust us, you’ll want to read all of them!
From the Dominion Post: Gig-goers at the San Francisco Bath House on Saturday night spotted a herd of hobbits among the crowd. Not only was head hobbit Martin Freemen there, but he was accompanied by a crowd of 4ft (1.20-meter) stand-ins used to create the correct scale in Sir Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit, being filmed in Wellington. A diarist reports that no only were other music-lovers excited by celeb spotting, but they said it was great that, for once, they could see over the heads in front. [The Dominion Post]
In a new interview with the Belfast Telegraph, Saorise Ronan has revealed that she will not be playing the long rumoured role of the Elf Itaril in the upcoming Hobbit films.
An excerpt follows:
It’s probably not going to work out with The Hobbit unfortunately.
Because I would have been working for about a year on it and there were other projects that I was very interested in.
Head over to the Belfast Telegraph to read Ronan’s entire statement in the interview.
Does this mean the role of Itaril has been eliminated from the movie entirely, or does it simply mean that Ronan won’t be the one playing it? Discuss on our message boards.
Rob Kazinsky, who was cast initially in the role of Fili but who had to walk away from The Hobbit last week due to health issues, was today replaced by New Zealand actor Dean O’Gorman.
On his Twitter page, Rob has tweeted a few words for Dean. He says:
Would like to wish Dean O’Gorman the very best on the incredible journey he’s about to join, great actor will do a great job.
How very classy of Rob to do so, don’t you think?
Rob and Dean, we on TheOneRing.net wish YOU BOTH all the very best!
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!
From the Dominion Post: Gig-goers at the 
