Although it is plausible that the other familiar characters could be in it, it’s just not necessary when they had their own three headliner flicks. This is Bilbo’s journey and should be respected in that manner. It’s guarenteed success, so I hope they’ve got the balls to tell a solid story without the need of misplaced cameos to distract their audience from the core plot. The first LOTR flicks were a big risk in themselves as they were not universally familiar before the movies. I hope they have the same spirit of trusting a good story over a dumb audience this time around.

Story tweaks and cuts are inevitible in a film adaptation. But the addition of characters just for a three second “There’s Pippin!” moment is just over exposed writers floating on a barrel down the river of movie mediocrity.

With all that time, I’d love to see those iconic characters of the trilogy make a return even if its for a small scene. I just hope it makes sense storywise whatever they decide to do.

Why skip forward to events leading up to the first Rings film? It is rather pointless, in my view.

As far as the Hobbit time period itself, a character like Legolas (well, Orlando Bloom needs this gig more than anyone…) or any of the Elven characters would suffice. My main concern is having them in just to have them.

I would prefer not to have the old characters in the first movie, except Gandalf and Bilbo, obviously. Oh, and Gollum. Stick Aragorn and Frodo and co in that and they will overshadow the new characters.

The bridge film does not all have to take place during The Hobbit time period.

It could skip forward to events right before Fellowship and show characters/events leading up to that meeting at the council. (as an example)

Wouldn’t you like to see a scene of Aragorn and Gandalf a few years earlier?

The bridge movie(not the Hobbit) is where we will probably see Jackson and company bring some of the characters from the LOTR trilogy into the story..I am guessing some will be just short cameos while those of Aragorn and Legolas could be bigger roles because they have history and know each other well before the events of the FOTR..

Good Lord… I hope not.

I can see *maybe* actors Hugo Weaving, Orlando Bloom, Cate Blanchett returning, maybe John Rys-Davies (as Balin, not Gimli) but that’s about it really. But the Rings films already touched upon the relationship between Aragorn and Arwen (although Liv Tyler can be a cameo as well) and the revelation of Aragorn’s lineage -so what is the purpose here? To make “the fans” happy? (yawn….)
The actors of LOTR and the respected characters should be in the Hobbit films if needed for the story. Not “just because”.

Not one “fan” is/will be disappointed if these actors and/or characters are MIA. We are promised returns from Ian Mckellean as Gandalf and, most obviously, Andy Serkis as Gollum, perhaps even Ian Holm. If other actors/characters are left out it’s not like we’ll suddenly have this “void”. I’m sorry. I don’t buy it.

Having the three main Hobbit characters from LOTR – Frodo, Sam, Merry- serves no purpose even if they *were* written into the Hobbit (2). The friends purpose is defined in the Rings films. Sam doesn’t make his oath to Mr. Frodo before Fellowship of the Ring, now, does he?

Nothing against the actors wanting and willing to reprise their roles even for a day; but if this is Bilbo Baggins story and not Frodo’s…

There’s no doubt the movies can/will reinvent some sections. After all, in the movie Gimli wants to go into Moria, whereas in the book he dreads to, as he knows what has happened. If the movies are redone a little to get in certain characters, I won’t complain. If it works.

Gimli could turn up with the dwarven army. Won’t be much of him, although guess they could have Rhys Davies play cousin Balin, and play him similarly to Gimli. After all, they were cousins.
Aragorn and Legolas could be with the elves. They wouldn’t meet Gimli in this so that wouldn’t be a problem. Again, they wouldn’t have too much to do, but they’d be there.

In saying all that, the main thing for me is the new characters. Thorin Oakenshield and Beorn are two I really want to see, and who plays them. So I’m much more excited about new things in these movies than old.