Peter Jackson refuses to be specific when answering a question about actors who have the possibility to be seen playing the lead character, Bilbo Baggins.
- Dec 7, 2009
AceShowbiz - Peter Jackson has given an update on his upcoming movie project, "The Hobbit". Being met by IGN at a cocktail reception for his new film "The Lovely Bones", the filmmaker informed that casting directors for the adventure movie have been auditioning "unknown actors" for the role of Bilbo Baggins.
Previously, there were some actors who have been linked to the lead role, like Daniel Radcliffe, Martin Freeman, James McAvoy, and David Tennant. When asked if he could clarify who, among those names, does not have the possibility to play Bilbo, Jackson said some of them were not under consideration. However, he refused to say who had been ruled out because he didn't want anyone to figure anything out via process of elimination.
Additionally, Ain't It Cool News has added another name among the candidates to play Bilbo. According to the site, a trusted source has told them that Tom Waits could be seen taking the role. The source claimed the "Bram Stoker's Dracula" star is someone whom the production has been seriously talking about.
As of late, Jackson hinted that the shooting of "The Hobbit" will be delayed from the original estimate of March 2010 to the middle of 2010 because it has to wait until scripts for the two films are complete. This raised speculation that the release dates for "The Hobbit" and "The Hobbit 2" would also be pushed back. However, the producer insisted that the first film is still on track for a 2011 release though he is not sure when the production will be kicked off.
"The Hobbit" will re-create the scenes of the novel, with additional events that make an impact to "The Lords of the Rings", such as the expulsion of Sauron from Mirkwood by The White Council. The first of the adventure fantasy movie is scheduled for December 2011 U.S. release, while the second film is expected to hit theaters a year later.
