Casting for The Hobbit movie is (finally) set to begin this week in both London and LA and Peter Jackson says they are throwing a large net and casting for every role apart from the one of Gandalf which of course is spoken for.
“What we’ve done over the years is discover a lot of interesting actors, like Orlando Bloom (in ‘Rings’), Kate Winslet (in ‘Heavenly Creatures’), Saoirse Ronan (in ‘The Lovely Bones’). So if you start looking and auditioning seriously, it’s amazing what incredible talent you’ll find out there.”
When asked about the rumors of James McAvoy being chased for the part of Bilbo Baggins he said they had not settled on any actors.
“Apart from Ian McKellen, who we obviously want to return as Gandalf, we are not really offering any roles to anybody until we’ve done a casting sweep,” Jackson said.
He also went on to say he felt no pressure to cast stars in for any of the main characters in The Hobbit explaining he sees Tolkien as the real star.
“(These movies) have never been a star-driven vehicle. The star is (author J.R.R.) Tolkien and the world he created. We are not under any pressure. We want to find the right people. Casting someone to portray a hobbit is not as easy as you might imagine. They have to have a particular type of physical appearance and a sensibility. And the same with an elf or a dwarf. These are fantastical characters, but you’ve got to find the right people to play them, the right humans to translate these characters.”
Regarding the rumors of delays you may have come across doing the rounds last week he was keen to point out that as far as he is concerned everything is on schedule.
The writers (himself, Fran Walsh and Guillermo Del Toro) expect to have handed in the first Hobbit movie script and expect to have the second movie script in the hands of Warner Bros. around Christmas time.
“As long as we start shooting next year we will be fine.”
So there we have it, The Hobbit is finally getting down to the sharp. Expect lots of rumors as well as announcements over the coming weeks.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
Get the latest Hobbit news posted straight to your Facebook wall by becoming a fan of the Hobbit facebook page… Click here, it takes 2 sec’s.
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=84d4774c-331a-4ec6-a95c-25c8774a41f9)
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
cool
If I lived anywhere near LA, i’d audition, but oh well.
@thaMC, I would, too. They really should do auditions in the eastern and central US, too. It’s a huge country, after all.
@Jasmin, It’s not a open audition . So the actors who want the part get’s on a plane and go to LA. They probably have a list of the actors who are going to the audition already. All this is for is to crush all casting rumours.
I’m up for the part of Beorn. I’m 6’4, 300lbs, hairier than a badgers bottom and frequently look puzzled when confronted by a group of dwarfs.
Previous acting experience includes being prince charming at my junior school play, approximately 25 years ago. Well, actually thats all there is. But Mr Jackson or Mr Del Toro, if you read this, I’m hairy, I’m lairy and I’d love to get beary. P.s. even have my own axe.
What of Gollum?
@Irfon, Serkis is coming back for Gollum, I think. I’m sure I read it somewhere.
How do I find the casting agent so I can send my head shot?
I MUST audition…I’m near LA but I cant find any info on how I can even get an audition…any ideas??
@jaragorn, I’m guessing it’s not a open audition. So the public can’t audition I’m afraid. He’s just saying this, to crush all casting rumors
Some word should be put out for casting call. So I guess just wait.
I hope they’re not recasting the role of Elrond – He’s been around for thousands of years, so unless Hugo is on his deathbed, he better be returning
I am curious as to why Jackson mentioned that all roles are open except Gandalf. Does that mean that Serkis and Weaving have bowed out as Gollum and Elrond? I sure hope not.
audition in australia huge names build from down here
I am the Hobbit you are looking for…
Would be nice if Tom Bombadil and Goldberry could be included into The Hobbit movies, to make up for them being left out of TLOTR.
I really don’t think they should ONLY look in these places….they’re missing out on so much talent.
Also, whenever someone says “We’ll have to autition in the UK” they naturally go straight to London in England. England is the crappiest country in Britain. No offence to anyone i’m just quite wound up about this, sorry
i really want to be in the hobbit movie but how can i be in it can anyone tell me please i want to be a hobbit child?
@Irfon, I know, but I doubt they pay for the auditioners to take their flights. What I mean to say is that they should have multiple stations or something so that nobody has to pay like $600 to travel 3000 miles from home and then have to pay another $600 to get back when they don’t get a part in the project. ‘Course if it so happens that they do pay for the flights, then I retract my statement.
{ 1 trackback }