One of the big questions of Guillermo del Toro and Peter Jackson’s upcoming adaptation of The Hobbit is who will play the main character of Bilbo Baggins? We’ve already had the casting confirmations of Ian McKellen (as Gandalf), Andy Serkis (as Gollum/Smeagol) and Hugo Weaving (as Lord Elrond), but was their return really a surprise to anyone? The truly important casting is that of the titular Hobbit – and recently there’s been a few names floating around that might be possibilities to fill the role.
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Los Angeles Time’s Hero Complex picked up on the rumor of three actors possibly up for the role of Bilbo Baggins: Harry Potter’s Daniel Radcliffe, Doctor Who’s David Tennant and Wanted’s James McAvoy. If you’ve been keeping up with The Hobbit casting news, you may remember the latter was rumored a while back to be up for Bilbo (along with Jack Black – eek!) but that idea was quickly squashed. However, what Hero Complex reports is that he’s being rumored yet again.
Oh, how these rumors continue to rear their heads…
Radcliffe, as we all know, plays the famous Harry Potter (if don’t know that, what rock have you been hiding under?), and him being rumored for The Hobbit I think is inevitable. Not that it’s all that likely he’ll get the role though, as he’s already spent his entire teenage years starring in one fantasy franchise, and as it comes to a close next year with the two-part Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, I doubt he’ll want to commit to another fantasy franchise for a long time. Besides, Radcliffe has already expressed his interest in concentrating on smaller roles (most likely to prove he’s not a one-spell wizard), so I’d be very surprised if he wound up getting The Hobbit gig.
The most likely of the three to play Bilbo is Doctor Who himself, David Tennant. Peter Jackson is making an appearance at Comic Con next week, which has already led to speculation that a casting announcement for The Hobbit will happen there. And who just so happens to be making his first-ever appearance at Comic-Con this year? Why none other than David Tennant, who’s supposedly there to promote Doctor Who. But when you consider that Tennant’s run as Doctor Who is coming to an end soon, could this mean he and Jackson will be making a little announcement? UPDATE: Peter Jackson has confirmed that he WON’T be announcing casting at Comic-Con next week, they haven’t made any decisions yet (Thanks to SR reader “Joshi” and Empire Online).
The elder version of Bilbo Baggins, played by Ian Holm in Lord of The Rings.
If it is to be one of these three actors (which, remember, it could very well not be) who snags the role of Bilbo Baggins, I’d put my money on Tennant. If I could have my personal pick of who I’d like to play Bilbo, I’d take McAvoy, but Tennant would nonetheless be a fine choice in my book.
Who’s your Hobbit – Daniel Radcliffe, David Tennant, James McAvoy? Or is it someone else entirely? Let us know!
The first intallment of The Hobbit is slated to be released in December, 2011, and the second in December, 2012.
Sources: Hero Complex (thanks to FilmSchoolRejects and /Film)
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39 Comments
It just occurred to me when the last posting in this thread was sent (July 20th)…DO we know who will be Bilbo yet???
Anyone know where they’re going to film the hobbit and how one can possinly be an extra for the film?
I think that they should hold to the book and cast Ian Holm. In the book he left for his adventure at age 50. And then when we see him again at age 111 Gandalf says “you haven’t aged a day” and that was due to the ring. So they should cast an older man instead of a younger one.
c’monnnnnnn martin freeman
I think david tennant’s acting skills would certainly make for an amazing bilbo, however unlike john rhys meyers he is tall but verrrrry skinny so i am not sure ho that’d work :/
daniel radcliffe I can only picture as a pale, geeky wizard
though he certainly looks like a hobbit
I could happily watch 2 horus of james McAvoy
still, martin freeman is my personal choice, he has the acting skills, looks and resemblance to holmes.
Give Bilbo to Sharlto Copley. There’s no one better to play it, after his performance in District 9.
Ya know what . . . they should just have peter jackson play bilbo; he could totally pull off a hobbit! haha
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