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On The Hobbit Casting: Peter Jackson Says It's Still Too Early

by Alex Billington
July 17, 2009
Source: Empire, Guardian

You probably heard about the three actors who are in the running for The Hobbit sometime earlier this week. If not, jump over to the Hero Complex for the low down on the Bilbo Baggins casting. Everyone (myself included) thought this meant we might get an announcement at Comic-Con, as Peter Jackson himself will be there for District 9. However, Empire talked with Jackson and that might not be the case. "No, we won't be announcing Bilbo for a little while," Jackson says. "We're starting to think about casting, but we're knee-deep in the script right now... We're powering ahead with getting the first draft done."

Either he's just trying to keep it a very big secret or they really aren't going to be announcing anything, which is a bit unfortunate. Even Guillermo del Toro had said last month that they were close to figuring out who it would be. However, that casting rumor isn't the only Hobbit related news this week. Guardian (via SlashFilm) has an update on the lawsuit between the Tolkien estate and New Line Cinema. "Should the case go all the way to trial, we are confident that New Line will lose its rights to The Hobbit," said Bonnie Eskenazi, the lawyer working for the author's son, Christopher, and the family's charity, the Tolkien Trust.

Christopher Reuel Tolkien claims that they never received any of the (large sums of) money that New Line was supposed to pay them after J.R.R. Tolkien sold the rights to the trilogy in 1969. The case is due to be heard at the Los Angeles superior court in October. Didn't this already get resolved? I thought the reason they were moving forward with The Hobbit was because New Line had worked out all issues with everyone back in 2007? I actually wrote a piece about this case back in 2008, outlining the exact details. I just hope this doesn't become Watchmen all over again. We'll let you know if anything is revealed at Comic-Con!

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Farris

Daniel Radcliffe has been rumored. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2009/07/harry-potter-or-dr-who-who-would-make-the-best-bilbo-baggins.html
dan

NOT daniel radcliffe.......please! james McAvoy or david tennant would be great.
PinkSushi

A lawsuit between New Line Cinema and the heirs of JRR Tolkien could force the new Hobbit film by Guillermo del Toro to come to an abrupt and permanent end! Tolkein's heirs are claiming they were screwed out of some deserved funds from the profits of the Lord of The Rings films. They are seeking the sum of $220 million dollars as well as the complete rights to future films based on Tolkien's work. The rights would include the option to "terminate" any production that breaches the contract. Bonnie Eskenazi, the representative of the Tolkein family, says: "Should the case go all the way to trial, we are confident that New Line will lose its rights to The Hobbit." The case is set to be heard at a Los Angeles superior court in October. Though Tolkin did indeed sell the film rights in 1969 for a meager upfront fee, he was also promised 7.5% of any future profits. In total, between theatrical and DVD sales, the Lord of The Rings trilogy made somewhere upwards of $6 billion dollars. The Tolkien estate has yet to see any of that profit and New Line's argument is that the original contract was "ambiguous". Greedy, greedy, greedy! Sorry Guellermo. As much as we're sure the nerds of the world want to see your movie, we want justice to be served.
Oblong

Is it just me or do the heirs of J.R.R Tolkein sound like greedy little bitches? Because reading about the lawsuit makes them seem that way. You know what I think they are! yes! I do! They are greedy! Grandchildren demading payment for something they were not even involved in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! actually I may be wrong.
L

Nothing like a bunch of leeches who didn'0t do anything but bear the Tolkien name to get what they never deserved
Steven

James McAvoy all the way. Radcliffe would be an intersting choice as well, but lets face it, for the rest of his life he will be Harry Potter the same way that Leonard Nimoy is Spock.
jono

james mcavoy all the way
harrison

i think the lawsuit that was settled was between peter jackson and new line, the tolkiens have yet to get their due what happened to bilbo from lotr trilogy? why not him?
Mat

What the hell is that on Jackson's right shoulder?!!! Oh it's Del Toro's Hellboy-ish forearm!!!
Bryan

Radcliffe is already too saturated. Too big. He would over shadow the film. I think the other two choices are much more in the lines of what PJ or GT are looking for. The formula for the first set of films worked, no major stars. Only new comers and well established actors.
http://www.soloparolesparse.com soloparolesparse

I have no suggestion for actors, but I'm very brrrrr waiting for this film. I think Del Toro is the perfect director for this history. I talked about this a few days ago: http://www.soloparolesparse.com/2009/06/the-hobbit-sara-a-firma-di-guillermo-del-toro/
dan

tolkien heirs do sound like "greedy litttle bitches". i don't think radcliffe is "too big"........he just isn't a good actor. hey, pinksushi.........all of us who read books aren't nerds - we just like a good story. you should try it sometime.
jack

How about an unknown for the part. There's 1000's of them out there and I think, imho, that a hungry newcomer may work better than an established actor.
ryderup

Ian Holm with CGI to make him look younger.
Fenris

Ian Holm is already Bilbo !!! and if they can make John Rhys Davies look like a Dwarf then surely they can work some magic to keep the continuity
DarkPadme

David Tennant ! please! he's such a talented actor
David Banner

I'm guessing....Elijah Wood as Frodo. With CGI to make him look older :;
Mathis

I just read an article in a swedish newspaper about the Movie Studios creative accounting which makes sure that there are no profits from the movies they make. There have been a lot of people suing the Movie Studios due to this accounting policy. If you have a contract you have to pay up otherwise what's the point of a contract?? And from what I'm reading it's the Tolkien Trust who wants it's money not Tolkiens kids.
S

Keep the same actors from LOTR that also appear in the Hobbit. Please!! Keep continuity!
napoleonblownapart

Not Radcliffe or Tennant. Might sound a bit obvious but how about Brian Blessed for Thorin