More to the point, any casting for the rather more
important (?) dwarves of Balin, Bombur, Dori, and
of course, the great Thorin Oakenshield (the latter
being a rather difficult role to pull off just properly).

P.S. One reason (among others) to hope PJ isn't
directly involved is the probably over the top use he'd
make of the deaths of Fili and Kili.

Kind of an interesting report on Moviehole:

New article http://www.movieweb.com/news/NEKFkQLON5dtOO.

According to both that article and imdb Ron Perlman, Doug Jones, and Kiran Shan are also going to be in. While Kiran Shan is probably going to be the double or stuntman for Bilbo's actor (he was Elijah Wood's), I really can't think of roles for the others.

Ron Perlman could possibly be Beorn, I guess.

On the other hand, Doug Jones kinda remind me of Dr. House. I have a fear that this is somebody's idea of Thranduil. If that happens I am starting a thread called "What part of "Elven Lords are not ugly" do you not understand Jackson?" Honestly Elrond and Celeborn where just ugly in Lord of the Rings. Does Jackson have something against Elf Lords? Arwen, Legolas, Galadriel, Haldir were all cast well.

Interesting rumor (rumour :) ) on Screenrush.co.uk
about casting for TH, in part:

If there's anything to this, I think I'd be an excellent casting choice.
Even as Dr. Who he struck me as a bit hobbitish/elvish.

throws down gauntlet...
 

I have no option but to challenge you to a duel. ;) Hugo Weaving is not ugly. I myself have been quiet in love with him since 1985 and Bodyline and have followed his career devotedly since. I am not alone and can assure you he has a large and devoted not to say rabid fanbase. And not all are as old as I am.

I agree that Galadriel was well cast the rest mediocre... Hugo is wonderful but the lines and costumes they gave him -aieee ... lists don't grow thin..

I've never seen him or Marton in anything other than LotR so I'll bow down to your superior knowledge of Hugo and consider it all the movies fault.

It just didn't work well in Weaving's scenes, and unfortunately I suspect editting and troublesome length constraints might have had much to do with it. The Elrond in my mind's eye has somewhat more distant, and possibily ethereal feel to him. And that too, I suspect, doesn't make for good popular film.

Edit:
After thinking a bit more about this, I think that the characters that weren't successfully portrayed from a Hobbit's point of view didn't come off nearly as well on the whole as the ones who were in the LotR movies. I do hope they keep this in mind when making the Hobbit, not that it will matter quite so much, being quite a different sort of book.

You know it makes sense! :p

The only other thing that I have seen Marton Csoskas in was The Bourne Supremacy- in hand to hand combat with Matt Damon!... Kung-fu Celeborn might have been a step too far ..I always felt it was slightly peverse with the casting of Haldir, Celeborn and indeed Legolas that dark haired and dark eyed actors with olive skin were cast as light haired pale elves. Csoskas isn't ugly but you don't look at him and think elf. At least I don't...
Cate Blanchett with those amazing cheekbones is very well done and does seem ageless.

On the subject of casting elves, who do you all think should play Thranduil? Personally I like Jamie Campbell Bower, however, that might be a biased view since I also consider him the only thing that made watching New Moon fun besides the scene at the beginning where Jasper nearly killed Bella.

well he looks elvish but he is a bit to young for Thranduil isn't he..or is it just that I am getting old?

I always imagined Thranduil in his mid to late twenties, so he's only a couple years too young for me. And when it comes to the elves I'd rather they were on the too young side then the too old side when casting. Though I suppose I'll hold off further opinions of him until November, when I see him in Deathly Hallows or if I manage to catch Camelot next year.

It may well be an age thing.. I suppose it could work if you played the Elvenking as a petulant boy-king but since the Hobbit is meant to be a prequel to the extant LOTR films rather than standing alone.. I can't help thinking this guy would seem ludicrous as Orli's Dad..especially if Orli did a cameo. Not having seen him act I wouldn't know if he has the necessary gravitas for the later scenes.

If there is any notice paid to the "history" of Middle Earth, then Thranduil is an elf of great age, one who fought in Mordor and led a fraction of his people home and now has to fight again. for my money you need an actor who has reached full manhood and that for me means late twenties to early forties even if they are aging well. Elves may not have beards until the third cycle, but for my money I want an actor who needs to shave! I rather liked the idea of Jasobn Isaacs but he is now perhaps too old and too associated with Malfoy :(

A complicating factor for Thranduil could be PJ's probable
inability to resist reprising Legolas. (Just got a picture of
hundreds of elves at the Battle of Five Armies skateboarding
down slopes to attack orcs).

What you mean you don't like super elf Orli ? ;)

Seriously I suppose that part of my inability to accept actors older than 35 for Thranduil is the fact that I felt the elves in LotR looked too old or human. Bower is light haired and light skinned naturally, which would fix some of the problems I had with Celeborn and Legolas. Jason Isaacs would have been a good actor but he's 47 now...Honestly though at the rate filming is going all the actors will be too old.

I think with the elves though getting the age part right is difficult. My imaginings have always been based off of the quote, "...but no sign of age was upon them, unless it were in the depths of their eyes;..." Granted that quote was solely about Galadriel and Celeborn, but I can't imagine Thranduil looking older than them. At the same time I can understand not wanting them to look too young.

One of the other things worrying me about the coming movie is how close they'll stick costume wise to the book. Tolkien doesn't spend much time on clothing but what he does describe is intricate to the characters, in my opinion. The dwarves need different colored hoods, Bilbo needs his handkerchief*, the wood elves need their gems on their colors and belts, and Thranduil needs his crown of flowers.

*Why does Elrond have a red silk handkerchief to give Bilbo?

Found this, which gives Sylvester McCoy as a cast choice for The Hobbit.
Laying aside the fact that I'm not a Doctor Who fan and I don't think I've heard of him before, theonering.net says he could be up for the part of Radagast. Perhaps he's going to harbour Bilbo and the Dwarves at Rhosgobel so they can leave out Beorn entirely. ;)

Interesting trivia - McCoy played the Fool opposite Ian McKellan's Lear at the RSC in 2007 - http://www.rsc.org.uk/explore/past-p...ideo-a1s5.aspx

I've MET Sylvester McCoy and he spotted my One Ring necklace. He's clearly a fan! ;) I hope to Rassilon's beard that this is true! Radagast in a pork pie hat?!

http://i35.tinypic.com/2vwvedw.png

Ahem. Sorry, but according to me, Arwen was hyped, not improved. My views, like yours, are mixed. The CGI and other visual effects, not to mention the costumes, were brilliant. But Jackson absolutely killed the characterization. Merry and Pippin? Gimli? FARAMIR?? Even Frodo! Heck, I can't think of a character these guys did not pick apart.

Sure, it's a cool movie, but it is NOT Lord of the Rings.

Jamie Bower? O.o That guy's a bit young...I don't think he can manage Thranduil...

Perhaps but all of the actors I think could have done a good job as Thranduil are (at least to me) too old to play the him. And Bower, at least, has proven that he can at least act well as a Vampire King (much better in my opinion then any of the other vampires). I think I'll reserve judgment on him until after I see him in Deathly Hallows and perhaps as King Arthur.

I'm open to any suggestions of who others think would be a good Thranduil. I don't see many movies unless I'm dragged to them by friends (hence my knowledge of Bower).

Calling all Hobbits
 

According to the news-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11404484

PJ is calling for short-statured New Zealanders

Perhaps he can act, but he reminds me too much of a vampire. I always imagined Thranduil with a wider sort of face, tall with broader shoulders than his son etc.

I always imagined the Moriquendi to be very thin, and slightly build almost delicate looking. The Noldor on the other hand were always broad shouldered. There were exceptions but Thranduil was always slightly built in my imagination, and around 6'2 or 6'3.

The New York Times reports TH movie deal is
just about done.
Unfortunately, PJ appears to be the producer and unfortunately
it's also to be in 3D.:(

P.S. I've only seen one 3d movie recently (Avatar), and found the new
glasses as annoying as ever, virtually got a headache after a while.

Looks like The Hobbit will start off in February 2011. Here's the link, though Morthoron has already put up a new thread.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/bre...-1225939513402

But they still haven't cast the leading character if the item on Martin Freeman in yesterday's Telegraph is any indication
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/t...he-Hobbit.html

I've been talking about this with Downers on Facebook, but let's also state it here: David Bowie has to play Thranduil. That would be way awesome.

It's a god-awful small affair
To the dwarf with the mousy hair
But the dragon yelling "No"
And Gandalf has told them to go
But his gold is nowhere to be seen
Now he walks through a sunken dream
To the elves with the clearest view
And he's locked in the silver cell
But the trial is a saddening bore
'Cause he's lived it ten times or more
He could spit in the eyes of fools
As they ask him to focus on

Wood elves fighting in the dance hall
Oh man! Look at those Dale-men go
It's the freakiest show
Take a look at the Bow-man
Beating up the wrong guy
Oh man! Wonder if he'll ever know
He's in the best selling show
Is there life in Moria?

Yeah, sorry, that could have been better...

Awesome Hooky.

Further rumours on McCoy Radagast...

http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2010...e-as-radagast/

Take it as you will. But I plan on seeing McCoy at a convention some time soon and will ask him myself. We may get a Barrow Downs exclusive! :D

Jackson and Boyens in Bag End giving an interview expressing their frustration over the delays to the Hobbit...

http://www.3news.co.nz/The-Hobbit-Ja...7/Default.aspx

Can I just say how continuously astonished by how thin PJ has gotten! :eek:
Still an impressive beard, mind. :)

Turns out McKellen is dropping out...

http://the-hobbitmovie.com/ian-mckel...andalf-hobbit/

Personally, I hope this means we get to see Richard Willson as Gandalf. "Wargs? I DON'T BELIEVE IT!"
..
Yes, anyway...

Any word of the Voice of Smaug?

How about Sean Connery or Mike Myers?

Hookbill, your tabloid instincts are as strong as ever! ;) That linked article doesn't say that McKellan is out, only that he hasn't yet signed. I'd be very surprised if they don't reach an agreement.

Regarding the voice of Smaug, the latest items I've read say Bill Nighy is the leading contender. Connery has been retired for some time, although, "never say never". Mike Myers is a joke, right?

Curious info on ToRN:

I suppose another PJ "improvement." Seems odd, since Sylvester McCoy could have had
a bigger, better role---even Bilbo.

Btw, I thought he was the third best Doctor (after Jon Pertwee and Tom Baker).

Third hand report, but the best I can do...

My younger brother's school hosted Sir Ian last night. He was doing a talk about homophobia and fighting prejudice. During the question and answer session he was asked about playing Gandalf. He mentioned that he will be "flying back to New Zealand pretty soon" to play him again.
I'd like to assume he's referring to The Hobbit and not his own production of 'The Adventures of Gandalf and Alien', hitting cinemas some time next year. ;)

TheOneRing.Net is reporting that McKellan recently updated his website to include the role of Gandalf in The Hobbit, so it's looking more and more like they've reached a deal. I expect an official announcement any time now.

More McCoy Hobbit casting speculations...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11820379

He's decided to keep quiet now, it seems. :rolleyes:

And then, just as progress is about to be made, political correctness rears its head:

You're too dark to be a Hobbit: Race row after British-Asian woman claims she was discriminated against on set

davem's started a thread about that, Andsigil: can o' worms. :)