Peter Jackson announces 'Hobbit' cast
Published:Saturday | October 23, 2010 | 12:00 AM
LOS ANGELES (AP): Amid disputes over where The Hobbit movies will be shot, Peter Jackson and the executives behind the film have announced the cast for the anticipated two-picture tale.
They say Martin Freeman will play hero Bilbo Baggins and Richard Armitage will portray Thorin Oakenshield, the leader of the Company of Dwarves.
Jackson said in a statement on Thursday that Freeman is "exactly like Bilbo and I feel incredibly proud to be able to announce that he is our Hobbit". He called Armitage "one of the most exciting and dynamic actors working on screen today".
Other actors joining the ensemble cast are Aidan Turner, Graham McTavish, John Callen, Stephen Hunter, Mark Hadlow and Peter
Hambleton.
The Hobbit, based on the J.R.R. Tolkien novel, began production in New Zealand earlier this month.
The films are set for release in December of 2012 and December of 2013.
A sculpture of Gollum, the villainous 'Lord of the Rings' hobbit, stands in front of a welcome sign in Hobbiton Town, Matamata, New Zealand. New Zealand may lose the filming of 'The Hobbit' movies, with financial backers Warner Brothers making...