The Hobbit is like 'a family reunion', says Elijah Wood
By Ann Lee
Metro.co.uk
June 28, 2011

Elijah Woods claims that working on The Hobbit - the prequel to The Lord Of The Rings - is like 'a family reunion'.

The actor flew to New Zealand to film a small scene and told Movieline that catching up with his old pals with a 'whirlwind'.

'It feels like a family reunion that I’m going back for. A number of the cast members are coming back.

'I went back a year ago in February just to visit. I was down in Australia, so I went over for nine days and caught up with a bunch of people.

'It was wild, man, to be back in that whirlwind, see all those people, but working in Middle Earth again. It was really cool to be back there, and I feel like it’s going to feel the same.'

Wood is set to reprise his as role as Frodo in the upcoming prequel.

Other Lord Of The Rings actors who will also be returning to The Hobbit include Ian Holm, Orlando Bloom, Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis.

Elijah said of his scene in the movie: 'It’s a tiny little piece. Frodo’s obviously not alive at the time of The Hobbit - it’s about 60 years before Frodo’s birth.

'So they’ve written a bit of a piece with Ian Holm as well, reprising his role as the older Bilbo, that I’ll do.'

The first picture of Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins was released last week showing The Office star with pointy ears.

The Hobbit will be split into two parts like Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn.

The first half, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is scheduled to be released in December 2012.

No Liv Tyler in The Hobbit; Elijah Wood Looking Forward to His Return
By Ryan
reelzchannel.com
June 27, 2011

Writer-director-producer Peter Jackson has brought plenty of cast members from his The Lord of the Rings trilogy back for his two-part prequel, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again. Ian McKellen's return as Gandalf, along with Andy Serkis as Gollum and Hugo Weaving as Elrond, were expected due to the character's inclusion in J.R.R. Tolkien's original text, but Jackson has also found room for Elijah Wood to return as Frodo Baggins, as well as Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, Orlando Bloom as Legolas, Ian Holm as an elder Bilbo, and Sir Christopher Lee as Saruman.

Not included in the prequel is Liv Tyler, who told PopEater that she's "definitely not" returning as the elf Arwen in The Hobbit.

I'm definitely not in The Hobbit and I actually don't know anything about it. I realized I need to call my friends in New Zealand to ask them what's going on so I have some facts when I get asked questions about it.

Tyler called the Lord of the Rings production a "magical experience," and said she wouldn't have been against returning to New Zealand, where The Hobbit is shooting. "I would love to go back there and bring my son to New Zealand and see all those amazing people," said Tyler, who went even further with the UK's Express, remarking, "I wish that I could be in it."

Wood's invitation is already lined up, and the actor will fly out to New Zealand in October. Considering Frodo's absence from Tolkein's original novel, it was thought that Frodo would return to appear with Bilbo as narrative bookends and discuss the fictional books their characters have written, something Wood confirmed while talking to Movieline.

It's a tiny little piece. Frodo's obviously not alive at the time of The Hobbit — it's about 60 years before Frodo's birth. So they've written a bit of a piece with Ian Holm as well, reprising his role as the older Bilbo, that I'll do. I can't really talk too much about it; it might be a bookend sort of deal. The story of The Hobbit he wrote down as There and Back Again: A Hobbit’s Tale, and you see that in The Lord of the Rings. And Frodo then carries on finishing the book from his side, from his perspective of his journey. And so I think it'll have something to do with the writing of that book and potentially getting into the story of The Hobbit that he ultimately wrote.

Wood said he's "very much" looking forward to returning, and discussed his feelings about Jackson's decision to direct the movies after original director Guillermo del Toro left the project.

You know, there’s a production diary that Peter did leading up to the filming of The Hobbit, and at the end of the production diary it shows the first day: They did a Maori ceremony, which we had done on Rings as well. They’re on this big empty soundstage, and the crew’s there, and these incredible traditional Maori people, and they did the haka and there was a Maori speech. Then Peter comes up and gives a speech; they showed a bit of his speech. It was really interesting, because we’d talked about the fact that he’d never really wanted to do The Hobbit. And I remember asking him when we were making [Lord of the Rings] if he’d ever do it, and he said he wasn’t interested.

And now he said, "You know, we were to the point where Guillermo was going to do it, and then he didn’t do it, and now I’m doing it. And here I am standing with all of you; we’ve all been down these roads before." And what made the impression on me — what I found so emotional to watch — was him saying, "Regardless of what we’re making together, so much of it is about the personal relationships that we’re about forge together, and the family we’re going to create." That speaks so much to what our experience was on Rings. It was really beautiful to see that that’s the same atmosphere for which they’re creating this new one. Isn't it awesome?

Jackson co-wrote The Hobbit movies with del Toro, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens. The movies co-star Martin Freeman as the younger Bilbo, Luke Evans as Bard the Bowman, Richard Armitage as dwarf leader Thorin Oakenshield, Sylvester McCoy as the wizard Radagast, Benedict Cumberbatch as the voice of the dragon Smaug, Mikael Persbrandt as the shape-shifter Beorn, Evangeline Lilly as the Woodland Elf Tauriel, and Barry Humphries as the Goblin King.

Jackson releases first photos of Bilbo
Stuff.co.nz
June 25, 2011

It is the curly hair and pointy ears that do it. Sir Peter Jackson has finally revealed the transformation of British actor Martin Freeman to Bilbo Baggins, the lead character of The Hobbit.

The sneak peak at Bilbo comes in one of three photographs to be released that offer the first glimpses of the much-anticipated Lord of the Rings precursor with the photos also showing Sir Ian McKellen reprising his role as Gandalf the wizard.

The photographs were provided exclusively to The Dominion Post and American magazine Entertainment Weekly.

"He fits the ears, and he's got some very nice feet," Jackson said of Bilbo. "I think he's got the biggest hobbit feet we've had so far. They're a little bit hard to walk in, but he's managed to figure out the perfect hobbit gait."

The photograph shows Freeman standing in what is likely to be his home of Bag End in Hobbiton as he reads a document. Out of focus in another room are some of the 13 dwarves who visit Bilbo to convince him to go to the Lonely Mountain for treasure guarded by a dragon.

JRR Tolkien fans will probably debate exactly what is being shown. It is possible it is a condensed version of a scene in the book where Bilbo reads a contract from the dwarves on what profit he will receive if he accompanies them.

Jackson is shown in another photo leaning on a table in Bag End in deep discussion with Freeman.

"There's no way you can pace yourself for shoots like these," Jackson told Entertainment Weekly.

"When we were going through the schedule for The Hobbit, I felt a terrible drop in my stomach when I saw that we'd be shooting for 254 days. We're only 12 days short of The Lord of the Rings, even though we're only doing two movies. When I saw that, I had to sort of pick myself up off the floor and carry on."

The third photograph has McKellen as Gandalf the Grey, who plays as prominent a role in The Hobbit as he did in The Lord of the Rings.

"He's in fantastic form. In a way, his role in The Hobbit has more technical difficulties than Lord of the Rings did, because he has scenes with 14 smaller characters obviously the dwarves and the hobbit are shorter ... I remember saying to him, 'Look, this isn't Waiting for Godot or King Lear. This is The Hobbit. This is the real thing."

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is released in December 2012 and part two, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, in December 2013.

The Dominion Post

Lost star Evangeline Lilly is to star in the Hobbit
dailymail.co.uk
June 21, 2011

Actress Evangeline Lilly, who famously dated one of the original little people, is the latest star to join the cast of The Hobbit movie.

The 31-year-old, who recently gave birth to her first child, was recently announced as the new cast member with a message posted on director Peter Jackson's Facebook page.

Jackson also confirmed that Dame Edna Everage legend Barry Humphries will join the cast of the movie as the Goblin King.

She'll play an elf, but dated Dominic Monaghan - who played brave Hobbit Merry in the three Lord of the Rings films - for five years, and he may return in a cameo role.

Lilly, best known for her starring turn in Lost, will be playing the role of Woodland Elf, Tauriel.

It's a part that's been created especially for the actress - and doesn't exist in Tolkien's original novel.

Ethereal Lilly will be an elvish beauty but Jackson was also keen to point out that there will be no on-screen romance with Orlando Bloom's Legolas, who also returns for the prequel, despite not showing up until The Fellowship of the Ring in the books.

She may not share screen-time with Monaghan, 34 , but as the pair have remained good friends since their 2009 split, he'll no doubt be happy to impart advice about taking on Middle Earth.

The pair dated for five years, before splitting in 2009.

It will be the first time they've worked together since the hit ABC show.

This is a huge role for Lilly, who unlike her ex, has yet to make an impact on the big screen.

Jackson's teased about her role on his page, writing: 'Her name means 'daughter of Mirkwood' and, beyond that, we must leave you guessing! (No, there is no romantic connection to Legolas.)'

Lilly has moved on significantly since splitting from Manchester-raised Monaghan, 34, who now lives in L.A.

She gave birth to a baby boy late last month with boyfriend Norman Kali, the family count their main base as their Hawaii home.

Lilly also met Kali while she was playing Kate Austin on the hit show, where he worked as a production assistant.

Monaghan has yet to confirm he'll return as Merry in the film, which is expected to hit cinemas in time for next Christmas.

He told SFX magazine last November: 'We've been saying that we'd love to come back as some sort of cameo, or turn up in the background.

'And Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens have said that would be a great thing for us to do, but I think they've got slightly more important things to deal with before they talk about the four Hobbits doing a cameo.'

Jackson obviously likes to reunite double-acts that have worked well before as he also announced that Benedict Cumberbatch will feature as treacherous dragon Smaug.

Cumberbatch is best known for his performance as Sherlock in Steven Moffat's rebooted BBC series, where Martin Freeman plays his Holmes - Freeman, of course, is the eponymous Hobbit in Jackson's film.

Benedict Cumberbatch joins The Hobbit as Smaug
By Ben Child
guardian.co.uk
June 20, 2011

Benedict Cumberbatch has been cast as the voice of the dragon, Smaug, in The Hobbit, Peter Jackson's forthcoming two-part prequel to his Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Cumberbatch's casting was accidentally leaked by his co-star in the BBC's Sherlock Holmes TV show, Martin Freeman, at the Bafta TV awards last month. Freeman plays the main role of Bilbo Baggins, a homebody hobbit recruited by wizard Gandalf to help a company of dwarves wrest their ancient homeland from a great dragon in JRR Tolkien's 1937 children's tale. The exact role to be taken by Cumberbatch, who plays Holmes to Freeman's Watson, was unknown until yesterday, however. Jackson himself confirmed the casting via his Facebook page following US reports last week. He also unveiled a number of other castings, including Australian comic Barry Humphries as the goblin king and Evangeline Lilly from TV series Lost as an Elf named Tauriel.

"Evangeline and Barry, along with Welsh actor Luke Evans as Bard and Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug, just about rounds out the major casting," wrote Jackson. "I cannot wait to get stuck into these new scenes!"

As well as playing Smaug, Cumberbatch is voicing the Necromancer, the evil Mirkwood sorcerer who is revealed in the Lord of the Rings to be the evil spirit Sauron.

Other castings for The Hobbit include Stephen Fry (as the Master of Laketown), Sir Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis (returning as Gandalf and Gollum), Spooks's Richard Armitage (dwarf leader Thorin Oakenshield) and Sylvester McCoy (wizard Radagast the Brown). The project's two parts are being shot back-to-back in New Zealand, with the films released in December 2012 and 2013.

AFP: Barry Humphries joins Hobbit cast
June 20, 2011

SYDNEY - Australian satirist Barry Humphries, best known for his characters Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson, is the latest actor recruited by Peter Jackson for the upcoming "The Hobbit" movies.

The Oscar-winning director announced on his Facebook page Monday that Humphries will play the role of the Goblin King.

"I'm highly excited that Barry Humphries will be portraying the Goblin King, in much the way Andy Serkis created Gollum," said Jackson, adding that while Humphries was best known as a comedian and satirist, he was also a good actor.

"In his spare time, Barry is also a fine actor, and we're looking forward to seeing him invest the Goblin King with the delicate sensitivity and emotional depth this character deserves."

Also joining the cast is Evangeline Lilly, known for her role on the television series "Lost", who will be playing a new character, the Woodland Elf Tauriel.

Another recent signing is British comedian Stephen Fry, who will play The Master of Laketown.

"Evangeline and Barry, along with Welsh actor Luke Evans as Bard and Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug, just about rounds out the major casting. I cannot wait to get stuck into these new scenes," said Jackson.

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" is due to be released in December 2012, while "The Hobbit: There and Back Again" is slated for release 12 months later.

After years of wrangling and delays, the US $500 million project, a two-part prequel to blockbuster "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy, began filming in New Zealand in March.

Actors reprising their "Lord of the Rings" roles include Ian McKellen, who returns as Gandalf, Cate Blanchett as Galadriel, Orlando Bloom as Legolas, Christopher Lee as Saruman, Elijah Wood as Frodo, and Serkis as Gollum.

British actor Martin Freeman takes on the central role of Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug.

BBC News - Barry Humphries joins Hobbit cast
June 20, 2011

Australian-born comedian Barry Humphries, who is best known for his alter ego Dame Edna Everage, is to join the cast of The Hobbit.

Director Peter Jackson said on Facebook he was "highly excited" the 77-year-old would be playing the evil Goblin King.

He added the character would be created using motion capture technology, as Gollum was created for his Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The first of Jackson's two Hobbit films is due to be released in December 2012.

"Barry is perhaps best known for his business and social connections as the long-time manager of Dame Edna Everage," Jackson said.

"However, in his spare time, Barry is also a fine actor, and we're looking forward to seeing him invest the Goblin King with the delicate sensitivity and emotional depth this character deserves."

Jackson also announced that former Lost actress Evangeline Lilly has joined the cast as a new character - Tauriel, the Woodland Elf.

"Evangeline and Barry, along with Welsh actor Luke Evans as Bard and Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug, just about rounds out the major casting. I cannot wait to get stuck into these new scenes!" the director said.

Actors reprising their Lord of the Rings roles include Sir Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood, who return as Gandalf and Frodo respectively.

Cate Blanchett, Orlando Bloom, Sir Christopher Lee and Andy Serkis will all also return.

Martin Freeman takes on the central role of Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor from the fearsome dragon Smaug.

Hobbit Luke Evans and Benedict Cumberbatch
By Josh Rottenberg
EW.com
June 17, 2011

Though shooting has been underway in New Zealand for months now, The Hobbit is still adding cast members - and now two of the last remaining major characters in director Peter Jackson’s two-part fantasy epic have been locked down. EW has confirmed that, as first reported by Deadline, English actor Luke Evans (pictured, left) — who played Apollo in last year’s Clash of the Titans and will co-star in the upcoming 3-D Three Musketeers - will play Bard the Bowman, who helps Hobbit hero Bilbo Baggins and company do battle with the dragon Smaug.

As for Smaug himself, English actor Benedict Cumberbatch will provide the voice and performance capture for the scaly, gold-hoarding villain. Cumberbatch is best known for playing an updated, modern-day Sherlock Holmes in the BBC series Sherlock. Coincidentally, Cumberbatch’s co-star in that series is none other than Martin Freeman, who’s playing Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit, so Sherlock fans will get a little extra thrill from their Hobbit showdown.

Benedict Cumberbatch To Voice Smaug in ‘The Hobbit’
By Mike Fleming
Deadline.com
June 16, 2011

EXCLUSIVE: After reporting today that Luke Evans will play Bard in the Peter Jackson-directed The Hobbit and wondering who'll voice the dragon Smaug, Deadline can now tell you that it will be Benedict Cumberbatch. He'll portray Smaug via motion capture. He is already on the picture, providing the voice of the character Necromancer. This comes as Cumberbatch is getting buzz for his supporting performances in the Steven Spielberg-directed War Horse. And Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, in which he stars opposite Gary Oldman, Tom Hardy and Colin Firth. After drawing raves for his performance in Danny Boyle's stage production of Frankenstein, Cumberbatch was just set to star in the five-part miniseries Parade’s End. Cumberbatch continues his role as Sherlock Holmes on the BBC/PBS series, which just won the BAFTA for Best Drama. He is represented by UTA and Conway Van Gelder.

Stephen Fry on his Hobbit film role in New Zealand
BBC News
June 3, 2011

Actor, writer and broadcaster, Stephen Fry, is to play Mayor of Laketown in the Lord of the Rings prequel Peter Jackson is currently shooting in New Zealand.

"It doesn't involve putting hair on my feet. At least, as far as I know," he told BBC Radio 5 live.

He told the BBC's Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo that he plays a corrupt, pompous official.

Fry described the character as being "somewhere between Mayor Quimby in The Simpsons...and Adam West in Family Guy."

Email: lmr909@hotmail.com