Rumors are flying around the web of the impending announcement that Bilbo Baggins is to be played by James McAvoy.
Bang Media is saying an insider leaked the news to them. They quote the leak as saying:
“A number of names have privately been doing the rounds, including Daniel Radcliffe and Jack Black but James is the one the film’s bosses really want. They’re expected to have talks with him soon so hopefully it could be confirmed in the not too distant future.”
Del Toro seems to confirm at least part of the rumor with this comment in the latest Empire Magazine due out tomorrow:
“We are writing based on Ian Holm’s performance but other than that, we have ideas of who could play him. I can tell you that it’s down to a few names that we all agree upon. And that our first choice …completely, magically, we said the same name. All of us!”
Would McAvoy be the one they all had in mind? Did they all watch The Chronicles Of Narnia and think “It’s our Bilbo!”
Personally I’m still hoping for Colin Firth who was suggested in the comments here by Steelsheen and since it was suggested, I haven’t been able to picture anyone else in the role!
Don’t quite right off Sir Ian Holm yet either as I expect him to be announced at the very least as the narrator.
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“A number of names have privately been doing the rounds, including Daniel Radcliffe and Jack Black but James is the one the film’s bosses really want.”
daniel radcliffe?
ahahahahahaha.
i swear, if harry potter plays ANY role in these movies, much less bilbo baggins, i will protest.
i think, just based on that quote, i can’t believe the story.
I like McAvoy as a choice. A good choice. Of course I would prefer to see Holms in the role but McAvoy is a good second choice as a younger Bilbo.
Isn’t Bilbo decently along in his life in “The Hobbit” Holms age now in real life fits the book.
NO, not really. Bilbo is definitely younger in the Hobbit. I’m not opposed to Holms in the role because he was excellent but it would make more sense for a younger actor to be in the role. Perhaps older than McAvoy but younger than Holms.
I think McAvoy would be perfect! Of course, anyone would be better than Radcliffe. He might be a good actor, but he’s too well known as another character (HP), to play a role in something as monumental as the Hobbit.
wow, I cannot see McAvoy as Bilbo, i mean what the hell are they thinking?!? I agree that Colin Firth would be the perfect Bilbo, he even kind of looks like a younger Ian Holm!
I know he’s younger in the Hobbit, but in the Fellowship they show Holms as Bilbo when he finds the ring. They’ll have to play the look off very well. I;m sure with today’s technology they’ll do a great job. I trust their decision(whoever they may pick) as Tolkien enthusiasts and visionaries…
well, both GDT and jack black have said that it’s not true.
and GDT also said that anything we hear in the next year or so is nothing to get worked up about.
they won’t be doing any casting until they’ve got some scripts.
Call me crazy, but my choice for Bilbo is the actor Steve Zahn. Always thought he looked like the perfect hobbit.
James McAvoy seems too young and slim to me. Stephen Rea is my first choice.
I respect and trust their choices. Whom ever they choose, I am sure will do well. I always thought Matthew Broderick would be good for that role, but I am no scout.
McAvoy is “Wanted” from Bekmambethov, but not Bilbo from GDT! )))
Colin Firth would be great! It would be the only movie of his that I’d be willing to see, and the only LoTR fantasy movie my wife would be willing to see!
Woo Hoo! Movie date night without a fight at the ticket office!
Martin Freeman FTW! seriously, I haven’t heard anybody mentioned that looks more “Hobbit-y” than him. McAvoy is too thin in body and face. We need someone with a rounder face ala Sean Astin. He made an excellent Hobbit and so would Freeman. Elijah Wood looked more like an elf to me and so does McAvoy.
well, there is said to be something “elfish” about Frodo? “It is said that one of the Tooks took a fairy wife…” Frodo’s got Took in him…
ahh.. that is a good point.. but there was nothing Elvish about Bilbo and there is definitely something Elvish about McAvoy
Woot-this is the guy i pictured playing bilbo when i read the book.Cant wait for the movie guys!!
I can’t believe other people were thinking the same thing I was. I had not looked on the internet for any information on this. I watched the trailer for James McAvoy’s new movie, and immedietely thought…. he’d make a great Bilbo Baggins!!! Then I started reading about the Hobbit Movie online, and see all these others who feel the same way. Mr. Del Torro, would you at least consider him? A lot of fans think he’d be fantastic as Bilbo.
Ian Holm is the only choice for Bilbo Baggins for continuity and credibility. After all in The Fellowship of the Ring Gandalf himself says,
” You haven’t aged a day “.
He did not say,
” You’re totally different, have you regenerated Doctor ? ”
Also as a previous post pointed out, the finding of the ring scene featured Ian Holm.
Sir Ian Holm is too old now to reprise the role of Bilbo in the Hobbit.
Why not ask Zach Roloff to play Bilbo?
jack black HELL NO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i will totaly not ever in my life watch the hobbit if they put jack black i will even kill myself JACK BLACK ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh jesus how stupidof them to even consider him AND don;t even get me started on the GAY looking Harry pothead OMFG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! KILL ME NOWWWWWWWW.
Well, it will be difficult for me to get used to any other actor except Ian Holm as Bilbo. We’ve seen him in prologue to “The Lord Of The Rings” as mentioned before, but there Bilbo wasn’t the most important character. In “Hobbit” he is. It could be a great effort for Ian Holm now. Nevertheless, I really expect his return.
for me james mc avoy would be very ok and also tobey maguire would be a nice hobbit!
If they put Jack black in this movie I will not watch it I hate that freeking dude!!!
wow im surpised they would even go near those names( daneil , and jack black) when chooseing the actor for bilbo baggins , last summer i sat down and read the hobbit and fell in love with the book hobbit hobbit hobbit is all i thought about . then this year when i heard that they where going to make a hobbit movie it made me giddiy as a school boy its really a crime that they would let daniel radcliff or jack black play such a role and if they do they can count me and millions of other fans out from watching it
They really need to bring Ian Holm back to play the role.
What are they thinking????
With todays makeup,computer, and other technology.
They could very easy make Ian look young.
The Producers, Casting staff need to give their head a good knock and wake up.
Anyone else playing this part would be a total disaster.
Well, Ian Holm to play Bilbo again? I mean, its been a long time and he is getting older. Sure we have the makeup and the stuff to make him young but will be play like a young Bilbo Baggins? Still, he did play a wonderful Bilbo. Maybe he can do it once again…………..DON’T THEY DARE USE DANIEL RADCLIFFE! if they do, that will be the biggest mistake they have ever made in film history (sorry, I simly HATE him, he’s so awful) And, don’t use jack black. please, I beg of you to not use him.
A lot of people have been making some good suggestions, but I don’t think that James McAvoy is the best one. Personally I think that Sir Ian Holm is still the best candidate because he was featured as Bilbo, but also in the movie when they played a “flashback”, he was featured on his journey to deal with Smaug. How is Del Torro going to make that transition with someone else? The only other possible candidate I can see right now could be Colin Firth(Google his pics to see what I mean). He would make a younger, but not TOO young Bilbo Baggins, which would “place” him properly in the Middle Earth timeline. ALL the others mentioned in the previous posts are too young, or too comic, or too wild to play the prestigious role of Bilbo.