Dreamcasting The Hobbit

Good news! New Line Cinema, which made billions off of J.R.R. Tolkien for its blockbuster Lord of the Rings film trilogy, finally settled accounts with Tolkien’s family. (It’s about time, you bastards!)

Now work can begin on the forthcoming duology of The Hobbit. But who’s going to fill Bilbo’s hairy feet? I asked the Wired readership, and got some seriously strange answers.

Dreamcasting The Hobbit: Who’s Your Bilbo?
Some roles reportedly have been settled (at least if you believe the internets). The Lord of the Rings superstars Ian McKellen, Hugo Weaving and Andy Serkis should reprise their world-beating renditions of Gandalf, Elrond and Gollum unless poor health, a radical change of mind or an act of terrorism interferes with that best-laid plan.

Ian Holm portrays Bilbo Baggins in The Fellowship of the Rings.
Image courtesy New Line Cinema

Ian Holm portrays Bilbo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings movies.
Image courtesy New Line Cinema
Adventurous ring-bearer Bilbo Baggins is a touchier role to cast. An older Bilbo was portrayed by the excellent Ian Holm in the previous Lord of the Rings movies. But Holm turns 78 Sunday, and executive producer Peter Jackson and director Guillermo del Toro are probably going to need a younger star for The Hobbit. Either that or some killer CGI.

They’re also going to need a Thranduil, elf king of Mirkwood and father of Lord of the Rings‘ Legolas, and a bearlike Beorn shape-shifter. They’ll also be on the hook for several dwarves, including Thorin Oakenshield, as well as a gang of orcs, some trolls and, most importantly, the voice of what will no doubt be a smoking version of Smaug the dragon. Which is where you come in. MORE @ WIRED