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The Hobbit Interview with PJ and GdT

Dude, I've been psyched for this the moment I heard that Del Toro was going to direct, the man can do no wrong in the theaters. Add in the fact that McKellan has said he will be playing Gandalf in the Hobbit and that most of the other actors that would appear in The Hobbit are open to reprising their roles and I'm jacked.
 
Im looking forward to the Hobbit, Ian Holmes is also reprising his role as Bilbo as well? that would be cool. Hey t a collaboration by two of the best in the business this film should be quite spectacular, looking forward to seeing Del Toro's visual style especially with regard to Smog the Dragon and the Battle of five armies I hope they do other projects together after the Hobbit.
 
Garo, what I got from the article was that Ian will be in the film as Bilbo in SOME context (i.e. maybe as old Bilbo remembering,) but Jackson wasn't sure it could happen with Ian through the whole thing. That leads me to believe that they'll cast a younger Bilbo. Should be interesting to see who they'll choose. I mean, it can't be a totally young Frodo type (if I recall, Bilbo was getting on in years when this adventure began.)

What always gets me is when people (a fan who asked a questions in this interview,) actually refer to The Hobbit as a happy, sunny children's tale. It's really not.
 
Not surprising because a good percentage of those people with that belief either have not read the Hobbit or their only exposure to the Hobbit was the 70's Rankin Bass Cartoon Movie.
 
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I'm a bit unsure about Del Toro. I switched Hellboy off after half hour cos I really didn't like it and I couldn't tell what the hell was going on in Blade II cos of his visual style (combined with my less than perfect eyesight).

I haven't seen Pan's Labyrinth yet though.
 
Rumor going round is that James McAvoy has signed on to be young Bilbo in the Hobbit.

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He was Leto II in Sci-fi channels miniseries: Children of Dune

Also in a lot of recent movies: The Last King of Scotland, Becoming Jane, Atonement.

He's going to have to beef up or wear some padding. Bilbo wasn't exactly a beanpole.
 
He's a good actor but i can't see him in the role of Bilbo, then again comes movie time I might change my mind on this one.
 
I think they just hired him for his hair in that photo. He looks half-hobbit already.

(Frodo wasn't exactly supposed to be a beanpole either, but Elijah Wood wasn't roly-poly for the role.)
 
Hello Colony earth good to see you again, While I agree that McAvoy is a very good actor, Im not sure about him as Bilbo, If possible for continuity sake I would love to see Ina Holmes reprise the role of Bilbo.If that doesn't work i guess i could accept McAvoy in the role.
 
Would be odd if Holmes were not involved, especially as he played Bilbo so well in LOTR and the flashbacks....

But if anyone else has to do it, McAvoy would be the one....
 
Would be odd if Holmes were not involved, especially as he played Bilbo so well in LOTR and the flashbacks....

Well I also had hoped that the movie would have Holmes as Bilbo again, just as the other Ian is coming back as Gandalf. However, the fact is, Bilbo is supposed to be much younger, and Ian Holmes is just about 70. Even with makeup and effects, I don't see him looking the role, even though his voice is forever Bilbo to me.

So on one hand, I want him there, but on the other, I can see where it might not be a good call. Still, I'd rather have them make him look older than the character should, than sacrifice continuity.
 
...Still, I'd rather have them make him look older than the character should, than sacrifice continuity.

I agree; I'd rather have Ian do the part. They've already proven to not be a stickler for exactness in age for parts; after all, Frodo was 33 at the beginning of the book but they had Elijah play him, and he was, what, 18 when he first started the film?
 
Frodo is 33 at the start of the books -- and he's actually about 50 for the majority of them. Chapter 2 of Fellowship covers a long time.

Ian Holm looked the part in the movie version of "Fellowship" at the beginning, but I expect they made him younger for that part just as much as they made him older for the rest (once he's given up the Ring). And the most physically demanding part of the early section was having him putter around Bag End, in comparison to the leaping about Bilbo has to do in The Hobbit.

My main concern about all this is that I just know they're gonna make an absolute mess of the Battle of the Five Armies.
 
Well, considering that we only heard of it after the fact (since Bilbo passed out during most of it,) it will be interesting nonetheless.
 
Frodo is 33 at the start of the books -- and he's actually about 50 for the majority of them. Chapter 2 of Fellowship covers a long time.

Yeah, but I can never remember exactly how many years pass between Bilbo's leaving the Shire during the birthday party and when Gandalf shows up years later having learned that Bilbo's ring is the One Ring. And even then after Gandalf tells Frodo to leave, Frodo hangs around for many months. That's one change I liked in the films is the sense of urgency in which Frodo flees the Shire.
 
It would be nice if men and women were cast with no "real age" in mind. But the truth of the matter is, the movies are an age-ist industry. My guess would be that the studio execs are calculating/have calculated what the opinion of the age group they are primarily aiming at might be. And wouldn't that be younger than most of the people here at this board?

As you've noted, there seems to be no economic backlash coming from filling a major role in Tolkien's stories with someone significantly younger than the book dictated. In this situation all they have/had to do is question which would gain them more money: a younger actor or the name of Ian Holmes.

It sounds like they may have decided that younger won't hurt the profit margin as much. Also, does anyone know if unofficial feelers were put out, and perhaps Ian Holmes wasn't interested in the part? I would guess yes, but it is possible he was comfortable with playing a smaller part, as a mostly-older Bilbo, but not interested in starring in a Hobbit film.

I have no idea. But I do think of the reediting of Star Wars, and the replacement of the actor who played Darth Vader with the image of the younger actor who played him in the prequel. Again, I'd tend to suspect people like me were the rarity: those who would actively dislike such a replacement to the point of not buying the DVDs in question.

In short, the sad truth is they may not care about continuity nearly as much as pleasing a younger audience.

But all of that is just my guess.
 
I dont think it has anything to do with pleasing a "younger audience." They aren't going after a younger Gandalf. Its simply the fact that the actor is 70 years old and playing a young Bilbo Baggins. It is a tough one....
 

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