Just for fun, and to help fill the yawning space between now and December 17, let’s assume that the tantalizing hint that PJ has let slip about the possibility of his one day filming “The Hobbit” is true. Let’s also assume that we’ve been given the job of casting this flick. I’ll start; my own internal rules dictate that I don’t want to repeat any castings from LOTR, with one exception, and that exception heads my list:
Andy Serkis & CGI crew: Gollum
Tony Robinson - Bilbo
Michael Caine - Gandalf
Robbie Coltrane – Thorin Oakinshield
Kenneth Branagh – Bard
Rowan Atkinson – Goblin King
Brian Blessed – Beorn
John Goodman - Bombur
That’s all I can think of for now. Good Lord, eleven more dwarves to be cast, as well as trolls, stone giants, elf kings, elf butlers, lake people – phew!
Your suggestions?
And for you TORnadoes, yes, this is my exact post from the TORn discussion board.
Warwick Davis as Bilbo Baggins. Or something. He has to be in it, any way.
Actually, he’s got the porportions for a pretty good troll (regular sized head and hands, small body). That’d be neat, having him act a giant troll vs a normal sized person acting a small hobbit :).
I love Michael Caine just as much as the next guy. There’s no question he’s a great actor and he probably could pull off Gandalf (though his head might be a little too square), but come on, Ian McKellan is Gandalf. No one will ever play that role better than him, and it would just cheapen the experience for someone to try.
Here’s an idea: I’m a purist so I don’t really want to see any deviations but I would love for Glorfindel to get a nod in the Hobbit movie. A simple walk on or even a one liner mentioning his name would suffice. He has gotten screwed in every adaptation so far.
I agree with Cisco about Gandalf. You could also reuse whatsisname who played Elrond if you wanted to, I guess, and if PJ makes it they probably will. And as long as we’re reusing actors, I wonder if maybe Thranduil looks a lot like his son…
You could have John Rhys-Davies play Gloin (he might look like his son, as well). That wouldn’t be repeating a LOTR casting.
Robbie Coltrane as Thorin? Man, I’m not seeing that at all. I always saw Thorin as having a fair amount of dignity, and actually being pretty impressive in his own way. I love Robbie Coltrane but I don’t see him this way. I don’t have a better suggestion at the moment, though.
Voice of Smaug: Peter O’Toole, who has the sexiest, most persuasive voice on God’s green earth - and he can inflict it with a little savagery, when he wants to.
I agree that Sir M. has been the definitive Gandalf, but by the time anyone gets to making “The Hobbit,” Ian McKellan may no longer be with us. Well, gee, I guess by that logic, that means Michael Caine may be sitting at that big pub in the sky, too. Hmm. More suggestions?
Michael Caine is 6 years older than Ian MacKellen.
Anyways, Sir Ian is 64, not 94. I think he’s got plenty of great roles left in him. Look at Christopher Lee, he’s 80 and still has another Star Wars movie to do.
if McKellen isn’t gandalf…i will not watch it. What’s wrong with using Ian Holm for bilbo again? It would make the prologue in the Fellowship seem more connecting. Also, he isn’t that old to where he couldn’t do it…
Andy Serkis would have to stay…
And there definitely needs to be a Beorn, but who would play him really. I pictured him almost grizzly like…duh
Yes he is. For the scene where he’s a younger Bilbo in FOTR they gave him a temporary face-lift with tape and makeup. While they could do that for an entire movie why not just go with a younger actor?
Gandalf - Sir Ian, of course (bet he’d like to do a musical)
Bilbo - Nils Lofgren
Thorin - James Hetfield
The Three Trolls - Ron Wood, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger (but Charlie’d probably have to do it instead)
Elrond - Neil Young (or Steven Tyler!)
Beorn - Ice Cube
Bombur - John Popper
Voice of Smaug - Burning Spear or Mutabaruka