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McKellen says which actors are in (and out) of Hobbit
Ian McKellen is expected to reprise his Lord of the Rings role of Gandalf in director Guillermo del Toro's Hobbit movies, and though nothing's official yet, the actor told Empire magazine that he doubts many of his Rings co-stars will appear.
"Unfortunately, there won't be many of the actors going back," he told the magazine. "Unless they're going to put masks on and be disguised as dwarves! Andy Serkis is, at the moment, I think, the only other actor who's doing this film."
Serkis, of course, played Gollum in the Rings movies, and it's hard to imagine any other actor taking on the iconic role.
As for the movies' production, which had been threatened by MGM's financial woes, McKellen said:
"The scripts for the two films will be delivered very soon," he revealed. "Then they'll be budgeted, and then they'll be cast. And they'll be going when they've always said they would be, which is next spring—March or April. Guillermo even told me at one point, 'We're going to film for 383 days.' He's got that artistic autism! [Producer Peter] Jackson's the same; they're very, very, very alike. They also very different, but they've so much in common."
Other Rings actors who are likely to appear in the prequel films include Hugo Weaving as Elrond. Again, nothing's official yet.
By asfm at 2:33 PM ON 10/13/09
Good. I hated the idea of familiar faces appearing in The Hobbit just for the sake of it.
By gollum at 2:46 PM ON 10/13/09
Not a problem with me either! After all the story is set (going from memory here) 80 years earlier when Bilbo was 'young' for a hobbit. So it would ruin it IMHO to have familiar actors from LOTR running around, even if they were playing different roles. Would Frodo even be born by the time of the Hobbit. With two movies, I wonder how close they are sticking to the story anyway...
By Celeborn at 2:57 PM ON 10/13/09
What about Hugo Weaving as Elrond? I thought he was confirmed also?
By mredder4 at 5:03 PM ON 10/13/09
Anyone but John Rhys-Davies playing Gloin would make absolutely zero sense. Give him a black or brown beard instead of red, and a few other distinguishing features, but THAT would be a way to include a former cast member.
By ELAshley at 5:14 PM ON 10/13/09
80 years? Bilbo was 51 when The Hobbit began.
By ELAshley at 5:18 PM ON 10/13/09
Frodo was 33, the age at which a Hobbit was considered to be an adult... but still too young to have adventures.
By Primogen at 9:00 PM ON 10/13/09
If they depict the White Council in the films, Cate Blanchett (Galadriel) and Christopher Lee (Saruman) might also have roles
By dolphinguynz at 4:15 AM ON 10/14/09
Mredderd
John rhys davies categorically refused to do any more LOTR as the makeup they used caused so many facial skin problems for him he is still suffering their effects today. He is fun to talk to at cons though.
By bladerunner101 at 4:31 AM ON 10/14/09
dont forget liv tyler. elronds daughter. quite a few characters of elvish ad dwarvish nature could come back.but i must agree id rather a movie with mostly new faces except for those mentioned above. 3 cheers for hobbit i didnt think it ever get off the ground.
By Clarissa at 6:40 AM ON 10/14/09
80 years is almost right...
TA 2941: The Hobbit
TA 3001: Bilbo's Party (Bilbo is 111; Frodo is 33)
TA 3018/9: The Lord of the Rings
By kernel_thai at 2:45 AM ON 10/15/09
Im still disappointed theyre stretching The Hobbit into two films instead of making the second film about Strider and the Rangers and cataloging the events that took place between Hobbit and LotR
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kernel_thai:
Im still disappointed theyre stretching The Hobbit into two films instead of making the second film about Strider a...More »