Please let it be David Tennant!!!

Yes, David Tennant would probably do it very well. Can't think of anyone else who might do as well off hand.

I'd love to see Tennant in the role but I feel he is strapped with HAMLET for the next year. More than likely will be James McAvoy but I guess time will tell... Should be fantastic films all the same.

I agree.. David Tennant would be perfect as Bilbo Baggins!

it must be Ian Holms, duh.

I totally agree with Ron Reed that Ian Holms is the only choice.

"According to McKellen, the starring role of Bilbo Baggins has been successfully cast already. Not only that, but he knows who has the role and he's sure that the fans will be very, very pleased. "

There's not information here. This can't really be called a casting bombshell.

Definitely hoping for Sir Ian Holms. I think The Hobbit is a bit out of David Tennant's league.

Are you crazy? David Tennant would be a terrible choice!! Sure, he's great as Doctor Who, but Bilbo Baggins is NOT the right character for him! If they're really smart they'll use Ian Holms and employ the same technology from "Benjamin Button" to make him look younger.

Ian Holmes is too old, he was going into retirement in LOTR. In the book he left to die. Who is David Tenant anyway?

Although Ian Holms would be cool to have as Bilbo, he's too old to play him.

God damn it people, it's Ian Holm, not Ian Holms. Get it right.

(For the second time...thanks captcha system...)

Thanks, Stardust...damn, that was getting on my nerves...

I love Tennant, but he's too young. Bilbo was fifty when he went 'There and Back Again'.

sigh... Manos hobbits age differently

Hobbits age more slowly than men so a 50-year old Bilbo could be played by an actor in his 30s. James McAvoy is too young; David Tennant would be about right.

david tennant would be a great choice. he has the humor that is required in the hobbit. it's not a as dark as lotr. just add to his his scifi/fantasy resume. he is one of the greatest dr whos

I agree David Tennant would be fantastic. I would love to see Ian Holm again, but I was under the impression from an interview a while back that he did not want the role. HE said he is too old to do the work.

Holms would be great, but he's in his 60s. He may not have the energy to do it. I would love it if he did.

When the news appeared that The Hobbit would finally be made into a feature film, it was rumored that Ian Holm would narrate in much the same vein as Cate Blanchett did for The Lord of the Rings.

Iam Holm is now 78 years old. The Hobbit is a prequal, set several decades before LOTR. Ian playing himself a few dozen years younger would never work, even with the "skin smoothing" special effects from X-Men III.
Hamlet is in post-production and Tennant is now filming a new St. Trinians movie. IMDB has no information about him beyond that. He could easily be in New Zealand by next March...

Hobbits don't age differently. They simply live a little longer than the average human (100-120). Tolkein wrote Bilbo as a fifty year old confirmed bachelor- middle aged by any standard. Also, please note that in the movie version of FOTR, Gandalf noted when he first saw Bilbo that he 'hadn't aged a day', and Bilbo certainly looked a good solid fifty. I stand by my comment - David Tennant is too young for the part.

Ian Holmes is 78 years Old.
I don't think it could work.

I agree...

We

We

We Want

We Want David Tennant

We Want David Tennant as the Hobbit

You all do realize that the one ring being in Bilbo's possession basically stopped his aging prompting Gandalf to be quite shocked and to even mention that "you haven't aged a day" therefore Bilbo would look exactly the same in The Hobbit as he did on his 111th birthday before he gave up the ring. So why would Ian Holm be to old to play Bilbo in the hobbit if the character was virtually unchanged from one book to the next? It should be Ian Holm.

As much as I love Tennant, I don't think he'd be the best choice for the role. Even ignoring the height thing, he doesn't look like a hobbit and is a bit too young. But oh my word Tennant would be awesome in the riddle match with Golluml!

Why not Elijah? :)

For those who say that McAvoy or Tennant are too young, consider that Frodo was 33 at the birthday party, and was 50 when the fellowship set out. Elijah Wood was 20 when FotR was released. They will cast a younger actor for no other reason that a younger actor will appeal to a broader audience than a 50 year old actor.

That aside, word is that Tennant is not interested and McAvoy is committed through 2011.

Naw its Elijah Wood. He is most likely. Ian Holm is to old to play the role

David Tennant?? Love him as the Doctor - but as Bilbo?? Yeech! He's too tall, too skinny, too young, to play the part. Bilbo is short, fat, round, and middle aged.

Elijah Wood as Bilbo is the worst idea since Greedo shooting first...

Agreed. Short, fat, round people... SHORT FAT ROUND

Let's all start a chant:
Ian Holm

Ian Holm

Ian Holm

Ian Holm

We need to start some kind of campaign to Peter Jackson. What do ya'll think? Should we send ears or big feet?

Ian Holm is the only choice.

DT?!! Really? He really sucks as an actor and as the Doctor. Too much of a clown. Glad he is finally leaving Doctor Who.

Sir Ian Holm is always considered a perfect choice, since the movies. He also did the audio reading of the Hobbit way back, he did play Bilbo. But he is kind of old and the energy needed to do the role might kill him. You can only do so much with stand in's and camera work. David Tennant is another excelent choice. I am all for it. It will all depend if the he and the producers are up for it. But lets think outside of these 2 for a second and look at 2 other actors who I would like to see.
For the Big hobbit fans, I would like to Sean Astin. He was excelent as Samwise. He knows what is involved for the shoot and is a fine actor. Or how about a man who knows the books, a big fan of Middle Earth. He is known more as a comedian, but I have seen his dramatic persona and it would work. I am talking of Stephen Colbert. Little known fact that he is huge fan of the trilogy and can pretty much quote the books as well as Sir Christopher Lee. Just a thought.....

Ian Holm would have been fine as Bilbo--if he were thirty years younger. And good lord, while a charismatic actor, David Tennant is completely wrong physically for the part. Realistically, I think they need to do what they did with LOTR and cast an actor about 5'6" for the part. The body proportions of shorter actors generally makes them look better than taller actors, when digitized to look small, and when the actors playing the parts of hobbits and dwarves are close in actual height to each other, they look more natural. Which is why Peter Jackson in the LOTR, when casting the roles of the four hobbits, used four actors who are all about the same height.

zathras is exactly right. Everyone's talking about Tenant for not one bit better a reason than they like him as the Doctor. I like him too, but he looks NOTHING like a hobbit. His build is ALL wrong; by the time they got done with the CGI, we wouldn't recognize him. And Holms? Come on. The guy was old in FOTR, which he needed to be (especially for Towers), but there is NO WAY Jackson/del Toro do that Benjamin-Buttons crap.

I have no idea who they'll use, nor do I have any real suggestions. I just like raining on people's parades. If either of these guys get cast, believe me, I hope they perform a miracle and make some really good films. But be absolutely sure: if they choose either of these actors and the films are successful, it will ABSOLUTELY be a miracle of biblical proportion.

Gary Oldman anyone?