The Totally Awesome Totally Tentative Cast of The Hobbit

So it seems like that long-awaited Lord of the Rings prequel The Hobbit is going to happen. Maybe. I mean you can't blame me for questioning all the news that everything is A-OK and that this movie is ready to be filmed after the insane history it has had from legal fights about money and rights to the studio going bankrupt to settling on a director to getting everyone's schedule in line. In fact, there's even an infographic about the tortured history of this film.

With that said, let's say everything is set and the cast is ready. What a cast would it be, at least according to what's on IMDb at this very moment. Let's take a closer look shall we?


Two of my favorite actors, Cate Blanchett and Orlando Bloom, are back and since they played elves in the first and are also naturally beautiful, their appearances should be a no-brainer. Elijah Wood, who played the protagonist to the initial trilogy, is also back probably as a way to bridge the two set of movies together. Finally, Christopher Lee is returning as Saruman, but while he's still able to work, seeing him receive a BAFTA Fellowship this year just reminded me that the clock is ticking and people are not getting any younger! This movie needs to start filming now.

Two newcomers to the films are Martin Freeman who will play the titular hobbit and Saoirse Ronan as presumably another elf what with her delicate and fine features. Now would be the time to let you know that I actually have no clue about any of the characters in The Hobbit as I've never read the books and that all my knowledge of Tolkien's classics solely comes from the previous films. With that said, I've enjoyed Freeman ever since I saw him in Love, Actually and more recently in Sherlock Holmes and Ronan has just been exquisite in everything she's done so far and at such a young age.


But that's not all. Of course Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis will reprise their roles from the first films. In fact, they seemed to be the two that have always been attached to this project even with all the drama this production has endured. Ian Holmes is also rumored to be back and I hope he does albeit playing an older version of the character he played last time.

Now this is where this cast goes from epic to an epic of epic epicness. Richard Armitage and Aidan Turner appear to be confirmed to play dwarves. I love both of them from Robin Hood and Being Human respectively so I'm very excited for their casting. The one problem I do have is the tragic fact that all of their beauty is going to be hidden behind makeup, costumes, hair, and CGI. What a waste! Though don't think I missed those two rumored names... David Tennant and Leonard Nimoy? You mean two actors who played two of the most iconic characters in science fiction in two of the most popular sci-fi shows of all time? ALL TIME. Don't mind me, I'm just hyperventilating here. If these casting rumors do happen, fanboys (and girls!) from Bangladesh to Los Angeles will collectively cry in ecstasy.

Of course, it's also possible that by the time I post this there's a new wrinkle for the project to worry about. Leonard Nimoy hates the script! Ian McKellen quits the movie to do Broadway! Martin Freeman-Aidan Turner sex scandal! Cate Blanchett beats Peter Jackson to death! Or you know, maybe not. The first film is tentatively scheduled to be released on December 2012. Yeah, okay, we'll see.