Official Hobbit 2010 Casting Thread...

[Entropy]

The makeup techniques and principles used for LOTR have pretty much been around (and relatively unchanged) for decades, I doubt anything has changed dramatically in the past 4 years. And I tend to agree with pixle on this one--- if new blood is warranted, I think it should be embraced. Not that I don't love the LOTR cast!

Yeah Andy, unless you go digital the only other option still involves gluing and painting appliances on the actor's skin. Maybe JRD had a reaction to a certain glue they were using or just hated the claustrophobic feeling of the wig, makeup, etc.

I bet Andy Serkis will play Smaug & I hope they'll make Smaug look a little more human and less reptilian. I really liked how Smaug looked in the animated movie, a bit wolfish with wings attached to his arms and not as separate appendages. No dragon movie has surpassed the look of Vermithrax from Dragonslayer IMO. I just hope the Hobbit movie version has as much personality as the animated Smaug, seeing Serkis as the great worm would do that.

 

[gabberjawa]

I bet Andy Serkis will play Smaug & I hope they'll make Smaug look a little more human and less reptilian. I really liked how Smaug looked in the animated movie, a bit wolfish with wings attached to his arms and not as separate appendages. No dragon movie has surpassed the look of Vermithrax from Dragonslayer IMO. I just hope the Hobbit movie version has as much personality as the animated Smaug, seeing Serkis as the great worm would do that.

That's interesting, about Serkis doing Smaug. That hadn't crossed my mind, but I haven't given it much thought yet. I think things will be more interesting once actual rumors start spilling out, as they are bound to.

 

[Lembas Eater]

My first choice for Bilbo would be Paul McGann from WITHNAIL AND I and the US Dr. Who television movie (yeah, he was the only good thing about it).

I'm afraid my first picks for a couple of key parts are now too old, Paul Scofield as Thorin and Brian Blessed would have kicked ass as Beorn twenty years ago or so.

Thats all I got for now but i'm sure I'll come up with some more, my head is just spinning with Hobbit thoughts now that its really happening. It is happening, right? Someone pinch me, I gotta be dreaming!

 

[Customikey]

Okay, here's my picks for good casting for The Hobbit.

Richard Briers as Balin. I think of Balin as being a wise councilor, and Briers could give that air wonderfully. And knowing that it was him in the tomb in FOTR adds som serious pathos.

Derek Jacobi as Thorin. He can give such a wonderfully pompous air and yet has the ability to project great warmth and hidden regalness.

Jason Isaacs as Thranduil. A crafty Elven king. Isaacs has already shown he can play conniving blonds well, and he's "beautiful" enough to be an elf. I believe him as Orly's dad. They're both brunettes in blonde wigs!

Geoffrey Rush as the Leader of Laketown.

What other character are there? It's been a while for me as well...

 

[Captain Faramir]

Jason Isaacs as Thranduil. A crafty Elven king. Isaacs has already shown he can play conniving blonds well, and he's "beautiful" enough to be an elf. I believe him as Orly's dad. They're both brunettes in blonde wigs!

That would be PERFECT casting! He could easily pass as Orlando's father and has just the right sense of cold detachment for Thranduil. He's elegant, smooth, classy, but also has that otherworldly feeling. I'd LOVE a 1:6 figure of Isaacs as Thranduil. Orlando should also definitely make a cameo during the scenes in Mirkwood or the Battle of the Five Armies--of course he would have been there!

 

[pixletwin]

Nice job Mikey. Your choices are great (esp. Thranduil and the dwarves).

 

[Mudshark]

"Big John" had some sort of skin reaction to the adhesive, I believe, and the crap actually peeled the poor guy's skin off! He absolutely hated it, according to interviews I've read and watched. So even if they wanted him for one of the dwarves, I seriously doubt he'd be willing to go through that bloody hell again, in any case!

CGI is great, in fact it'll be indispensable for certain things, like the three trolls, and certainly for Smaug and Beorn's shape-shifting episodes. But I really don't like to see it overused, and unfortunately that seems to happen quite often these days. I'd much prefer to see real actors in makeup than a bunch of digitally enhanced characters.

Yeah Andy, unless you go digital the only other option still involves gluing and painting appliances on the actor's skin. Maybe JRD had a reaction to a certain glue they were using or just hated the claustrophobic feeling of the wig, makeup, etc.

 

[gabberjawa]

 

[The Godfather]

Honestly I don't want to see a bunch of faces I already know. That was one of the better things about LOTR the majority of the actors were fresh faces sure I had maybe seen them in a few movies but I didn't instantly associate them with X character at least I didn't. I would say that Elijah was probably the most famous of the bunch for me but as a much younger boy. The same can be said for Astin. I think any cross over actor from Potter would be a mistake unless they were in heavy make up. I for one didn't put Agent Smith and Elrond as the same actor until someone pointed it out. Reusing an already established lotr actor to play a character that is not their original one would take away from the fantasy for me.

Who would you rather see as the Lake Man. Tom Cruise for example or an actor like Viggo who sure you might have seen in a few movies but he wasn't a star by any stretch and you can easily fall into believing he is Strider.

As far as Raimi goes it wouldn't surprise me he has a number of things in his corner. As a Producer and/or Director he has done several projects in New Zealand including 30 Days of Night, Jack of all Trades, Cleopatra 2525, Young Hercules, Hercules and Xena. That will be a feather in his cap as far as PJ is concerned IMO. He as producer on 30 Days of Night and Time Cop has a connection with Dark Horse. DH is the current company that distributes for WETA which we all know is PJ's baby. I know this one seems like a stretch but it is still a connection none the less. Also IMO Jackson's and Raimi's earlier work at least to me is quite similar.

 

[Anzik]

As long as Bruce Campbell isn't cast as Bard.

One of the great things about LOTR was that most of the Hollywood "elite" weren't trying to get in on the fun. I seriously hope some studio clown doesn't try and make this a vehicle for a star on the downswing. Since there is no overly arrogant character that needs a check in humility only to come back and succeed, that means Tom Cruise won't try out for the part.

Although he is the right height for a dwarf....

 

[Radagaster]

I've had a disucssion of this with a coworker of mine. We both agreee that McKellen as GTG, Serkis As Gollum, Elrond, Legolas may reprise their roles.Remote chance that Blanchett as Galadriel unless it's in the 2nd movie. You may even see Arwen and Aragorn at Rivendell in cameo shots.

The big question is who's to fill-in Bilbo's, and dwarves' shoes.
As much as I'm ok with casting unknown cast, I implicitly trust PJ's choice at this point on whom is best.

As for writing the script, it's been mentioned that PJ already is crafting one. After all, PJ's vision implies PJ's script.

 

[drjedisith]

Guillermo Del Toro to direct would be incredible! i could totally see him working with jackson.

 

[pordey2]

I agree on John Rhys-Davies as Balen (surely the make-up technology has improved in all this time).

Of course, Orlando Bloom as Thranduil. Orli's aged too much to play a younger version of baby-faced Legolas, but I think he'd make a kick-ass Elf King! (Legs can be "off on a quest"...)

I want JRD as Balin, not sure if HE want that, though.

Liv Tyler with a cameo as Arwen. Same with Orlando as Legolas. He haven't aged THAT much and the 60 years between the Hobbit and LOTR is nothing for an elf. With some makeup, he'll be the Legolas we know him as. And he will probably not have that much screentime that it matters much anyway. But who should play his brother, and father?

Hugo Weaving, Andy Serkis and Ian McKellen is of course a must to reprise their roles. And I do like Martin Freeman as Bilbo

And Christopher Lee as Saruman and Cate Blanchett as Galadriel in the second movie

 

[Mudshark]

As long as Bruce Campbell isn't cast as Bard.

One of the great things about LOTR was that most of the Hollywood "elite" weren't trying to get in on the fun. I seriously hope some studio clown doesn't try and make this a vehicle for a star on the downswing. Since there is no overly arrogant character that needs a check in humility only to come back and succeed, that means Tom Cruise won't try out for the part.

Although he is the right height for a dwarf....

I know this is all just speculation and fun, but any mention of Cruise in this discussion is makes me extremely uncomfortable ... nauseous even! Same goes for... I don't even want to mention their names, but I'm sure you can fill in the blanks!
I just pray that none of the Hollyweird elite end up in this movie! :emperor

 

[Customikey]

I know this is all just speculation and fun, but any mention of Cruise in this discussion is makes me extremely uncomfortable ... nauseous even! Same goes for... I don't even want to mention their names, but I'm sure you can fill in the blanks!
I just pray that none of the Hollyweird elite end up in this movie! :emperor

I think, much like the Potter films, LOTR is considered a jewel of the UK, and most of the casting will come from there. Besides Elijiah and Sean, most of the original cast hailed from the UK. I doubt we'll see any big Hollywood weirdness. Certainly not on PJ's watch.

 

[Lembas Eater]

Derek Jacobi as Thorin. He can give such a wonderfully pompous air and yet has the ability to project great warmth and hidden regalness.

Ironically, Mckellen and Jacobi had the hots for each other years ago but never actually hooked up.

 

[fool_of_a_took!]

Honestly I don't want to see a bunch of faces I already know. That was one of the better things about LOTR the majority of the actors were fresh faces

Could not agree more.

 

[Atom Hues]

One thing to keep in mind when talking about the two Hobbit films....

I don't think one film will be The Hobbit, starting with Bilbo leaving Hobbiton and ending with the Destruction of Smaug & the Battle of Five Armies, and the second film will be the all-new material...

I think that it's more likely that The Hobbit will be split into two films, and all the extra material, which many of us are guessing/hoping will be the White Council stuff and the action set-piece of the Necromancer (Sauron) being driven out of Dol Goldur in Mirkwood, will be interspersed through the narrative of the 2 films.

I just point this out to prevent any of us convincing ourselves that the 2 Hobbit films will "one film that adapts The Hobbit novel" and the other being "a bunch of extra stuff".

 

[carbo-fation]

One thing to keep in mind when talking about the two Hobbit films....

I don't think one film will be The Hobbit, starting with Bilbo leaving Hobbiton and ending with the Destruction of Smaug & the Battle of Five Armies, and the second film will be the all-new material...

I think that it's more likely that The Hobbit will be split into two films, and all the extra material, which many of us are guessing/hoping will be the White Council stuff and the action set-piece of the Necromancer (Sauron) being driven out of Dol Goldur in Mirkwood, will be interspersed through the narrative of the 2 films.

I just point this out to prevent any of us convincing ourselves that the 2 Hobbit films will "one film that adapts The Hobbit novel" and the other being "a bunch of extra stuff".

Though I can't speak for others, I for one only saw the two movies done the way you just described it. The Hobbit story will be expanded throughout both movies with other material from the LOTR appendices and other works added in both movies. I think it might be good idea for them to stop the first movie right after Gandalf leaves them at the entrance of Mirkwood and is headed towards the White Council. This, to me, seems like a good cut-off point. The first movie can have scenes from Aragorn and Arwen in Rivendell as well as Gandalf's acquisition of the map from Dol Guldur. The first movie should mainly deal with the history of the Dwarves in Iron Mountains as a backstory and how they were thrown out from their halls. Of course, they could also show how Thorin got to be called Oakenshield and his life as a 'poor' dwarf in the Blue Mountains.

 

[Atom Hues]

Though I can't speak for others, I for one only saw the two movies done the way you just described it. The Hobbit story will be expanded throughout both movies with other material from the LOTR appendices and other works added in both movies.

That makes the most sense; I merely posted my comment because of the number of people in this thread and several others that seem to feel that the 2 films will be THE HOBBIT (in its entirety) and ANOTHER TOLKIEN FILM MADE OF FILLER. Some folks were saying things like "I'll go see THE HOBBIT, but I ain't too sure about the other one..."

I was surprised at the number of folks who came to that conclusion, so I felt it was prudent to post a "Keep this in mind..." reminder.