Heard this rumor a while back, glad to hear they're going through with it. Although he'll always be Tim Canterbury to me. :P

Also, I really hope they go through with casting James Nesbitt as something. That man should be in everything

The guy from Hitchhikers? Awesome!

I'm also very happy with this choice!

I shouldn't read thread titles so fast. Could have sworn the title was Morgan Freeman instead of Martin.

Now that would be interesting...

So not only is this being shot on video not film, but it is not even being filmed in New Zealand.

Epic fail of the highest possible magnitude.  Wish it was shot on film and directed by Del Toro, as he was going to stay close to the Tolkien book.

I wonder what other elements from the trilogy will be missing.  Will Ian Mckellen be playing Gandalf, Andy Serkis Gollum, Hugo Weaving as Elrond.  Who will play Beorn, and who will play Thranduil Legolas father, who captures the dwarves in mirkwood.   Who will voice Smaug the Dragon.

What about Howard Shore as the music composer.

There are so many possible things that could go wrong.

Yeah, the fact that this is being shot in 3-d has really dampened my enthusiasm for it. Must everyone jump on the Avatar-3d-gimmick bandwagon? I refused to go see Avatar in 3-d just because I dislike anything faddish. But apparently I was just about the only one who felt that way; after the Avatar hype, I haven't heard of a single major movie on the horizon that isn't being shot in 3-d or, having already been principally shot in 2-d, converted into 3-d prior to premiering. On top of that, old classics like Star Wars and Titanic are being converted into 3-d for another theatre run/mad grab for people's money. Will the 3-d madness never end?

That being said, I do think that Martin Freeman is a superb choice for Bilbo. And I really hope this location situation gets resolved quickly, and filming can commence in New Zealand. It just wouldn't be right if it was shot anywhere else.

You guy's enthusiasm is giving me flashbacks to 1997.

doubleofive said:

The guy from Hitchhikers? Awesome!

Sorry I can't remember him being in the book, the comic, the television show, the musical, the video game or the towel...he certainly wasn't in the radio version.

I seem to recall some talk about a film...but nothing came of it.

I have these dreams where I'm walking up streets showing posters for the film and I sit in the cinema waiting for it to start and then I wake up screaming in a cold sweat but it didn't happen...didn't...never ever...no.

Good choice for a Bilbo.

I don't see why everyone is so hung up about New Zealand.

It's meant to be a mythical remembrance of bronze age Britain so they can film it anywhere that resembles a mythical remembrance of bronze age Britain.

The Welsh could certainly do with the work and the English emptied sweeping vistas of Scotland of the inconvenient poor (just like they plan to do with London over the next few years).

Ireland (North and South) has some amazing landscapes.

With so many British actors in it shooting it in Britain could end up cheaper.

That was the only reason the first three Star Wars films, the first two Superman films, the first three Indiana Jones films, Alien, Aliens and almost every Bond film were shot here.

I think they only shot TPM here though for nostalgic reasons.

Bingowings said:

doubleofive said:

The guy from Hitchhikers? Awesome!

Sorry I can't remember him being in the book, the comic, the television show, the musical, the video game or the towel...he certainly wasn't in the radio version.

I seem to recall some talk about a film...but nothing came of it.

I have these dreams where I'm walking up streets showing posters for the film and I sit in the cinema waiting for it to start and then I wake up screaming in a cold sweat but it didn't happen...didn't...never ever...no.

So are they filming this in 3-D?

doubleofive said:

 

Bingowings said:

doubleofive said:

The guy from Hitchhikers? Awesome!

Sorry I can't remember him being in the book, the comic, the television show, the musical, the video game or the towel...he certainly wasn't in the radio version.

I seem to recall some talk about a film...but nothing came of it.

I have these dreams where I'm walking up streets showing posters for the film and I sit in the cinema waiting for it to start and then I wake up screaming in a cold sweat but it didn't happen...didn't...never ever...no.

It wasn't that bad. Your dream that is.

 

I can barely remember it (beyond the sweat and screams) other than some vague feeling that as every gag was set up the punchline was ruptured and that the Vogan suits looked good but were utterly wasted.

Sluggo said:

So are they filming this in 3-D?

No.  It will be animated.

:p

Freeman looks perfect for the part.  Glad they seem to be getting the holdups ironed out.  Not sure about the whole 3D thing though.  Guess that's where some films are headed.  Oh well.  Jackson didn't disappoint before, so I'm not worried.

Tom Baker was up for a part during early LOTR cast considerations.

I can almost taste the fan fiction coming out that sort of casting.

They need to work Patrick Stewart into the film.

Debbie Does Dallas