I think it's the camera guy. I can see something big and black on his shoulder. And the figure looks too dark to be Gandalf...

~Riella

so Hugo Weaving is back for The Hobbit. cool, except that it's been so long since LOTR that he's not as young looking as he used to be.....
am I the only one who thinks that the cast for this movie is starting to look more a like an LOTR cast reunion than another LOTR movie?
I don't mean to say that it's a bad thing, after all, I am glad there's no re-cast for Elrond or Gandalf......
ack, I don't know what to think of The Hobbit as a movie yet

According to Sir Ian's blog, they're about to go on their first hiatus. Hugo Weaving and Cate Blanchett are off to do a play together and Martin Freeman's going back to the UK to film the next three episodes of Sherlock. As excited as I am about The Hobbit, I was really hoping he would still be able to film Sherlock, so I'm happy.

Three actors have been cast. Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage, and Conan Stevens -- http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2011/05 ... ephen-fry/

What are everyone's thoughts?

I'm glad they're showing the history behind the Orcs and Dwarves.

I've never heard of Alfrid before. He sounds like The Hobbit's version of Grima Wormtongue or something...

~Riella

I'm glad they're showing the history behind the Orcs and Dwarves.

I've never heard of Alfrid before. He sounds like The Hobbit's version of Grima Wormtongue or something...

I think the back story is a good idea -provided it is the back story Tolkien wrote. I haven't heard of Alfrid either or if I have I don't remember it. I don't see the need to add characters or find ways to squeeze characters from LotR in that aren't in the Hobbit or the stuff that was happening around when the Hobbit was taking place.

I don't see anybody's reflection in that shot on the previous page of this thread.

I don't see anybody's reflection in that shot on the previous page of this thread.

It's in the ring. Look at the ring closely, and you'll see a black figure.

As for new characters, it depends on how Peter Jackson pulls it off. I mean, he's telling other stories beside Bilbo's. He's also telling what was hapenning in other parts of Middle Earth as well, which is why it's been stretched to two movies. And since there isn't much material on the White Council, etc. it would be necessary to add a few characters if you were going to make a portrayal of it.

Jackson seems pretty good with that, though. There were characters added to LOTR too, and I don't think that hurt anything.

Remember the two Rohan children and their mother? They were added, and it didn't take away from the story. I thought it added a nice element: showing how the work of the enemy was actually hurting people, instead of just hearing about it from afar.

~Riella

Alfrid? Never heard of him. I will have to go check that part of the book. It certainly sounds like it should be interesting, however, because I don't recall anything about the Master of Laketown's servant -- at least nothing major. I'm very certain he wasn't named.

I agree with pretty much everything in your post, Ithilwen. The presence of the Rohan children added a more personal aspect than just watching soldiers fight.
I like both the ideas of having characters from LOTR in The Hobbit (such as Frodo) as well as showing the events with the White Council, etc. Of course, however, it does depend on how it is handled for how much I like it in the end. For example, while I could partially understand the reasoning behind the White Witch in VDT (as Edmund's nightmare), it just felt to me as if she was forced into the story as many times as possible. It also sounded for awhile as if her role was going to be larger than it turned out to be in the end. I didn't like that.

I'm 90% certain that's the cameraman's shadow in the Ring.

I am guessing then that Itaril has been/is going to be recast? I wonder if there were any 'runners up' mentioned...

I'm not sure if Itaril is even going to be in the movie... Has anyone heard anything?

~Riella

I'm not sure if Itaril is even going to be in the movie... Has anyone heard anything?

~Riella

Nope! But if she is, I'm voting for Kate Beckinsale. **She's got that "Warrior" thing going for her, she's a more appropriate age...and I think she'd look cute with a pair of Elf Ears**

I hope you're listening (browsing? ) PJ!

GB

*pokes in* Hi ya'll! Don't know why I haven't visited this thread before... I'm a huge LotR fan. I haven't realy been following the Hobbit movie due to excessive school work, but from what I have seen (and read here) it looks great.

So I just read on TORN that Benedict Cumberbatch is going to have a role in the Hobbit... Although I have no idea who he might be Elf perhaps?

My money's on Bard.

Benedict Cumberbatch, eh? Hmm... Very interesting. He looks more Elvish than anything else in Tolkien's Universe, but I don't know of any good Elven parts that aren't already taken.

Bard is the only role I know of that hasn't been cast. Oh, and Smaug. I don't remember if Beorn has been cast yet or not...

Maybe he could be someone on the White Council too. Or some new character we haven't heard of.

He just doesn't seem like enough of a human warrior type to be Bard. I picture Bard as a more... Aragorn type figure. A warrior. A hero. Benedict Cumberbatch doesn't seem like that to me.

Unless they make him look like one. *imagines him dressed up in warrior's clothes, dirt on his face, and long wild hair* Well... that would be interesting...

~Riella

Because Benedict is such a big name (well, relatively speaking for this production), I can't see him in a minor elf role from the books (ie the elves that rolled the barrels into the river). Unless there's a new character that they're adding in the movie or greatly expanding on a role from the books, which is certainly possible, I'm leaning against an elf for him. (Though I fully acknowledge he has a very elfy look. )

The forums are really buzzing about the possibility of him voicing Smaug. I've only ever seen Benedict in Amazing Grace, and that was a long time ago, so I don't remember his voice very well.

Yeah, I'm still leaning towards Bard.

I don't remember if Beorn has been cast yet or not...

Yep, he's being played by a Swedish actor named Mikael Persbrandt.