ONTD points us to the IMDb news that the actor both Peter Jackson and Guillermo Del Toro were “thinking of” is none other than AD heart throb James McAvoy:
“A number of names have been doing the rounds, including Daniel Radcliffe and Jack Black, but James (McAvoy) is the one the film’s bosses really want.They’re expected to have talks soon so hopefully it could be confirmed in the not too distant future.”
The Hot One would be perfect for it if not for this.
Yes, this would make him a HUGE star but it would come at a cost. He may be forever The Hobbit and unable to shake it. Yes, it would be the chance of a lifetime to work with Mr. Del Toro but I’m not sure I would advise him to take this. Then again, what do I know? Nothing, that’s what. I’m sure Mr. McAvoy knows better what is right for him and what isn’t.
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daniel radcliffe best.i’m sure he is very strong other project.and he is lokks like elijah:)i trust radcliffe’ act.
This could curse him with that title, like wood will always be frodo, and he is to talented to be seen for only that role. However, this could get him the oscar nom that he has deserved for the past few years (Last King of Scotland and Atonement, well last year was a big year for actors but he was still amazing and Scotland he deserved a nom. And as usual BAFTA gave the right people noms, like Michael Sheen).
I’m conflicted about this…I agree that he could get typecasted, but the man is insanely talented, and this would provide him with a deserving platform. OK, I’m in (should it become a reality).
Regina… He isn’t playing Frodo, He’ll be playing Bilbo. Sir Ian Holm, not Elijah Wood.
McAvoy would be good. He is already established enough that he wouldn’t be “the hobbit” forever.
Yeah, most people can avoid getting typecast if they’re talented enough. Besides, how exactly can one get typecast as a hobbit. It’s not like there’s a steady stream of hobbit pictures in the pipeline and McAvoy will soon be only getting offered those parts.
He’ll be OK. In terms of acting, his talent has already been proven. He is not Mark Hamil or the dude that played the emo version of Darth Vader. He is a legitimate actor. I see this move more on the lines of say DiCaprio doing Titanic. They’re factual differences, but the point is that it will only propel him into superstardom.
He will also make millions of dollars and work with one of the best directors of our time. The obvious choice is to do the film.
McKellen is not typecast forever as Gandalf even though it was such a huge role for him. Who knows about Wood – his career seems to be going exactly as he would like A wide range of indy roles and the lead character in a blockbuster, Oscar winning animated film) – as succesful a career as any young actor would ever want.
I have a hard time seeing McAvoy as typecast after Last King of Scotland. McAvoys fawn was a seductive character, Bilbo is quite different.
Anyways… The Hobbitt with Mckellen, McAvoy, Mortensen and Weaving – and who knows who else – Blanchett, Bloom?
LotR was good because of the acting – thespians selling the fantasy. The Hobbitt looks like it could do the same – again, the opening sequence of Gandalf and Bilbo.
too young! and thin!!!
Bilbo’s supposed to be a jolly fellow of 50, equivalent to our mid-30s. We need someone a bit “rounder”…
Yay! I’ve been saying he’s perfect for weeks now.
Called it! I think he can pull it off, he definitely has the talent. I suppose if anyone can get away with playing a hobbit and a faun in the same career, perhaps McAvoy could do it.
Mr. Tumnus and Bilbo Baggins in a lifetime’s work for McAvoy? What other short, hairy, weird feet characters loom for Jim in future.
I doubt he would take on the role. Mar”tim” Freeman is still on the top of the list for me.
uWhat about Phillip Seymour Hoffman?
I can’t see McAvoy as a Hobbit after Atonement. He was way too sexy in that movie. Maybe it’s just me. I’d think Dominic Cooper might work if they are going for somebody who is younger. I haven’t seen anyone mention him yet. But if it was me I’d just cast Ian Holm again. Bilbo was quite a bit older in The Hobbit and didn’t age because of the ring. But then again Frodo was older in the LOTR’s, and having Wood play him didn’t detract from that movie. So eh, who knows. Love McAvoy and I’m sure he would be terrific.
Oh and God please no Jack Black. The man couldn’t act his way out of a paper bag. I don’t know what Jackson sees in him.
I actually thought Black was really good as Sean Penn’s brother in Dead Man Walking. Check it out if you don’t think he can act his way out of a paper bag.
this doesn’t make sense at all, though if I was McAvoy I’d be praying to be chosen, and he would probably do a good job, but doesn’t make sense in the context of the story for McAvoy to transition to Holmes from Hobbit to Fellowship, he is supposed to look the same age.
“Yes, this would make him a HUGE star but it would come at a cost. He may be forever The Hobbit and unable to shake it.”
Sasha, you’re talking as if The Mac hadn’t done stuff like…oh I don’t know………ATONEMENT and LAST KING OF SCOTLAND. He aint a Billy Boyd in this case.
Anyway, its I guess a smart move for the dude, and hey I hope the picture(s) are good….even if I just don’t give two shits about it at this rate.
Daniel Radcliffe? Nah. You don’t want people thinking, “What’s Harry Potter doing in Middle-earth?”
I like Jack Black, but I don’t think he would be right. He does kind of look like a Hobbit, though. But I personally think Bilbo should be played by a British actor. Even though Elijah Wood and Sean Astin, who are American, did fine jobs in The Lord of the Rings.
James McAvoy would be a good choice. But then again, so would Martin Freeman. Either one of them would be my pick. But I trust PJ and Guillermo del Toro to make the right choice.
My thought is that if he does enough projects BEFORE the Hobbit film is released then maybe he can fight the typecasting. Maybe. I think he’d do really well in this role. He did a hell of a job in the Narnia film and this seems like it might be up his alley. As much as I love Jack Black, I would NEVER want to see him play the Hobbit.
It’s all balderdash. Del Toro himself has just, not an hour ago, gone on TheOneRing.net and refuted the rumors. Further, he said that any casting choices would be revealed, by him, on that website. And anyway they won’t cast until after the script is done, and that will take a year.
Straight from the horse’s (or the Bull’s) mouth.
They chose poorly.
if he can survive playing a faun, he can survive this. Other hobbits have–Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, and particularly Dominic Monaghan–so why wouldn’t MacAvoy?
I just looked on Onering.net and didn’t find the Del Toro info anywhere.
Crazycris: You forget that hobbits age VERY differently from humans. They don’t reach adolescence until their 20s, and Frodo himself was 50 in LOTR. McAvoy would be a perfect choice, as long as he stays productive afterwards. My biggest complaint about what Leo did was that he waited five years after Titanic before he started tackling prominent roles again.
I think McAvoy is an excellent actor and could probably pull of just about anything… but he just doesn’t meet my mind’s image of jolly, ROUND Bilbo! My copy of The Hobbit is still in a box (I recently moved) or I’d pull it out to copy out Tolkien’s description of hobbits… Del Toro or Jackson would make an excellent hobbit physically! As would Black… if he could act at all! How ’bout Giamatti as Bilbo?
I had no qualms with Elijah Wood’s portrayal. A/ he’d been raised by Bilbo and had the elven influence so would be “different” from other hobbits, and B/ once they skipped 20 years or so of the LOTR chronology it made no difference if he was a bit younger! (in the book he sets out with the ring a couple of decades after receiving it, not a few days after like in the movie, so yes, in the book he is supposed to be Bilbo’s age, but look younger ’cause he got the ring at a younger age!)
Sasha:
I mentioned this in the Film News thread on the subject, but I’ll repeat it for you here, since this is where you post…
It isn’t up on the TORN Homepage yet, though eventually I’m sure they’ll highlight it as a news story.
You’ll find his 2 posts from yesterday on this subject in TheOneRing.net Message Boards. When you get in there, click on the “Movie Discussion-The Hobbit” Forum and scroll down to the thread with the really long title:
“So The main choices for Bilbo are Dan Radcliffe, James MacAvoy and Jack Black.”
(my advice is to read this discussion in “threaded mode” if you don’t want to read 10 pages of posts….his name is easier that way.) You’ll see what I mean on the site. But that thread is HOPPIN’ right now so it might be fun to read the speculation!
Hope this helps.
Oops: Forgot to click the “notify” button–my bad. Sasha, see Comments for reply on “The Hobbit” casting
Thanks
PS Sasha….
I went back and found the posts….he posts as “Guillermo” and it’s on pgs. 3 and 4 of the thread.
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