Alternate hobbit casting for LOTR? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Tuor of Gondolin · 03-16-2006, 11:41 AM

While I think PJ's hobbits, especially Bilbo and
Sam, were quite good, should PJ have gone in
other directions in hobbit casting? This occurred to me
when I thought (in another thread) about the 1988
movie Willow.
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0096446/

Should PJ have used real dwarfs as hobbits? The cast
of Willow, especially Willow Upgood and his friend, seemed
good casting, and not nearly as much tricky filming by
PJ would have been required (mainly for Gimli).
Are there other possibilities for casting that could have
worked?

Another thought. In a Hobbit movie, what about the
Harry Potter good guy giant (Agrid?) as Beorn?

narfforc · 03-27-2006, 01:35 PM

Come on Downers lets kick start this thread, we all hope that the film will be made, so lets think about it. Here are some of my thoughts:

Bard.....................................Russell Crowe

Thranduil..............................Liam Neeson

Thorin..................................Brian Blessed

Beorn...................................Robbie Coltrane (the Agrid fellow)

The Master of Lake-Town....Timothy Spall

Balin.....................................Ray Winstone

So here are a few to think of:

The Dwarves

The Goblin-King

Dain Ironfoot

Galion the Butler

The Voice of Smaug...................John Hurt (Thanks Lalaith)

Lalaith · 03-27-2006, 01:38 PM

The voice of Smaug - John Hurt

Tuor of Gondolin · 03-28-2006, 11:03 AM

For what it's worth, this site has a bit of
information about a possible movie
(including the ever popular "petition"
to New Line to make The Hobbit).

http://derhobbit-film.de/indexengl.shtml

**The Saucepan Man** · 03-28-2006, 11:13 AM

There are some more casting ideas for the proposed Hobbit film here:

Cast the First Hobbit

Mithalwen · 03-28-2006, 12:47 PM

While that is fab casting Narfforc (and may I suggest that Galion would be a nice cameo for the wondrous Bill Nighy), I think it maybe isn't quite what Tuor meant.

Given the technological advances in the interim, I suppose that it was inevitable that the studio (and maybe directors) would go for standard size actors scaled down rather than short actors for the hobbit/dwarf roles, thus enabling bigger names to take such important roles for such an expensive film. But despite the wizardry I find a lot of the scenes with mixed scale actors a bit clunky and perhaps inevitably when the actors are interacting with a ball on a stick not each other, they often lack the naturalness of the scenes between Willow and Madmartigan.

Warwick Davis plays Professor Flitwick in the Harry Potter films but is still only in his late thirties I think and so could easily have played one of the hobbits.

Lalaith · 03-28-2006, 01:12 PM

Oh yes, Bill Nighy as Galion, perfect.....I'm not arguing about Liam Neeson, but I also think the chap who plays Lucius Malfoy might be rather good as Thranduil.

Mithalwen · 03-28-2006, 02:15 PM

Yes - I have thought that for a while ... when I saw him in his Lucius role - I just htought "That's Leggy's Dad!!!" I think Neeson is a bit strapping for an elf... and Isaacs would do the hissy fits so well.

03-16-2006, 11:41 AM	#1
Tuor of Gondolin Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Pennsylvania, WtR, passed Sarn Gebir: Above the rapids (1239 miles) BtR, passed Black Rider Stopping Place (31 miles) Posts: 1,548	Alternate hobbit casting for LOTR? While I think PJ's hobbits, especially Bilbo and Sam, were quite good, should PJ have gone in other directions in hobbit casting? This occurred to me when I thought (in another thread) about the 1988 movie Willow. http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0096446/ Should PJ have used real dwarfs as hobbits? The cast of Willow, especially Willow Upgood and his friend, seemed good casting, and not nearly as much tricky filming by PJ would have been required (mainly for Gimli). Are there other possibilities for casting that could have worked? Another thought. In a Hobbit movie, what about the Harry Potter good guy giant (Agrid?) as Beorn? __________________ Aure Entuluva!

03-27-2006, 01:35 PM	#2
narfforc Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Muddy-earth Posts: 1,297	Come on Downers lets kick start this thread, we all hope that the film will be made, so lets think about it. Here are some of my thoughts: Bard.....................................Russell Crowe Thranduil..............................Liam Neeson Thorin..................................Brian Blessed Beorn...................................Robbie Coltrane (the Agrid fellow) The Master of Lake-Town....Timothy Spall Balin.....................................Ray Winstone So here are a few to think of: The Dwarves The Goblin-King Dain Ironfoot Galion the Butler The Voice of Smaug...................John Hurt (Thanks Lalaith) __________________ [B]THE LORD OF THE GRINS:THE ONE PARODY....A PARODY BETTER THAN THE RINGS OF POWER. Last edited by narfforc; 03-27-2006 at 04:02 PM.

03-27-2006, 01:38 PM	#3
Lalaith Blithe Spirit Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 2,779	The voice of Smaug - John Hurt __________________ Out went the candle, and we were left darkling

03-28-2006, 11:03 AM	#4
Tuor of Gondolin Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Pennsylvania, WtR, passed Sarn Gebir: Above the rapids (1239 miles) BtR, passed Black Rider Stopping Place (31 miles) Posts: 1,548	For what it's worth, this site has a bit of information about a possible movie (including the ever popular "petition" to New Line to make The Hobbit). http://derhobbit-film.de/indexengl.shtml __________________ Aure Entuluva!

03-28-2006, 11:13 AM	#5
The Saucepan Man Corpus Cacophonous Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: A green and pleasant land Posts: 8,390	There are some more casting ideas for the proposed Hobbit film here: Cast the First Hobbit __________________ Do you mind? I'm busy doing the fishstick. It's a very delicate state of mind!

03-28-2006, 12:47 PM	#6
Mithalwen Pilgrim Soul Join Date: May 2004 Location: watching the wonga-wonga birds circle... Posts: 9,449	While that is fab casting Narfforc (and may I suggest that Galion would be a nice cameo for the wondrous Bill Nighy), I think it maybe isn't quite what Tuor meant. Given the technological advances in the interim, I suppose that it was inevitable that the studio (and maybe directors) would go for standard size actors scaled down rather than short actors for the hobbit/dwarf roles, thus enabling bigger names to take such important roles for such an expensive film. But despite the wizardry I find a lot of the scenes with mixed scale actors a bit clunky and perhaps inevitably when the actors are interacting with a ball on a stick not each other, they often lack the naturalness of the scenes between Willow and Madmartigan. Warwick Davis plays Professor Flitwick in the Harry Potter films but is still only in his late thirties I think and so could easily have played one of the hobbits. __________________ “But Finrod walks with Finarfin his father beneath the trees in Eldamar.” Christopher Tolkien, Requiescat in pace

03-28-2006, 01:12 PM	#7
Lalaith Blithe Spirit Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 2,779	Oh yes, Bill Nighy as Galion, perfect.....I'm not arguing about Liam Neeson, but I also think the chap who plays Lucius Malfoy might be rather good as Thranduil. __________________ Out went the candle, and we were left darkling

03-28-2006, 02:15 PM	#8
Mithalwen Pilgrim Soul Join Date: May 2004 Location: watching the wonga-wonga birds circle... Posts: 9,449	Yes - I have thought that for a while ... when I saw him in his Lucius role - I just htought "That's Leggy's Dad!!!" I think Neeson is a bit strapping for an elf... and Isaacs would do the hissy fits so well. __________________ “But Finrod walks with Finarfin his father beneath the trees in Eldamar.” Christopher Tolkien, Requiescat in pace