Official The Hobbit thread

[Sawyer]

Man, slap some make up on Ian Holm and keep him as Bilbo.

Agree. I dont see why there needs to be a new actor...

 

[lime]

Agree. I dont see why there needs to be a new actor...

Ian Holm is 79 years old, all the makeup on the world can't give him the straight to shoot the movie.

 

[Doctor Jones]

It doesn't matter. Michael Sheen is actually a great choice. I can totally see that.

But I do think Holm may be a bit to old. The CG face thing could be too expensive. They may have a huge budget but if they're chekcing stuff off the list and wanting to save money, the face thing may be checked and they could hire a younger actor.

 

[DarkKnight88]

Do people seriously think Ian Holm can still play Bilbo? It's a lead role and very physical. He's 79!

 

[Doctor Jones]

Yeah, I know. Do people seriously expect to see a 79 year old fighting and running? And you can't get away with stunt people. That just takes away everything.

Go with a younger actor I say.

 

[Bat-Mite]

He's actually 77. Only 7 years older than McKellen, who looks to be reprising his role as Gandalf in this film. Like I said earlier, there are ways around having him do the more physically demanding parts of the role. I don't think anyone's expecting him to climb on a barrel or constantly jab Sting at spider puppets. They can have other people do that kind of thing.

 

[kedrell]

I don't see why that's a problem. Just look at all the tricks they used for all the hobbits (including Bilbo himself) in the LOTR films. Obviously, there was some stuff that the younger actors could actually do themselves that Sir Ian wouldn't be able to do at his age, but again, there are tricks to get around that. Sure, it would be a lot cheaper to hire a younger actor for that very reason, but I think some extra stunt work and CGI would be worth it for more continuity between the movies.

The only reason I wouldn't want them using Ian Holm is if Ian himself didn't feel up to it. I'm also really hoping that they can film some Saruman scenes in Britain, since it sounds like the only thing holding Christopher Lee back from reprising his role is not wanting to travel to NZ.

Since we only got Holm as younger Bilbo for a grand total of about 10 seconds in the entire LOTR trilogy, I don't see the problem with making the production easier all around by recasting a younger actor. Holm is "old Bilbo" and that's good enough for me.

 

[DarkKnight88]

He's actually 77. Only 7 years older than McKellen, who looks to be reprising his role as Gandalf in this film. Like I said earlier, there are ways around having him do the more physically demanding parts of the role. I don't think anyone's expecting him to climb on a barrel or constantly jab Sting at spider puppets. They can have other people do that kind of thing.

Ian McKellen isn't the lead in the film, though. Bilbo is basically in every scene. And is constantly running or hiding. That's hard on an actor of ANY age let alone his age. And do you really want to be constantly reminded you're watching a stunt double in most of the physical scenes. I'm sure Ian Holm himself would turn it down for his own health.

 

[mclay18]

I tried that once, too, but I got through a whole magnum of Chasse-Spleen by the end of the extended FOTR, and I fell sound asleep to the dulcet tones of Treebeard.

When New Line/Warner Brothers announced that the trilogy would be released on Blu-ray in its theatrical forms, a lot of fans announced they would hold out for the EEs on Blu-ray.

The thing is, a lot of fans argue that the extended editions of LOTR are the definitive versions of the trilogy, but I disagree. FOTR and ROTK worked tremendously well in their original theatrical editions, only TTT benefits from all the extra footage. (Hugely, it's a more complete film and not for the sake of fidelity to the novel.)

There's some wonderful restored scenes in each extended film (loved the Rivendell scenes in FOTR and the Houses of Healing in ROTK), but the restored/extended footage in the first and last LOTR film mess up the flow. I can see why you fell asleep when watching the EE of TTT after the FOTR EE.

 

[Sawyer]

Jesus, Holm is really almost 80? I didnt know he was that old... I guess it would be best to go with a new actor. How old is Bilbo supposed to be in the novel?

 

[kedrell]

^About 50, but hobbits age a little slower than humans. 50 to a hobbit is like 30 to a human.

Frodo is supposed to be the same age in LOTR.

 

[Bat-Mite]

Ian McKellen isn't the lead in the film, though. Bilbo is basically in every scene. And is constantly running or hiding. That's hard on an actor of ANY age let alone his age. And do you really want to be constantly reminded you're watching a stunt double in most of the physical scenes. I'm sure Ian Holm himself would turn it down for his own health.

You would have a good point if the movie's going to be like the book where Gandalf is running away all the time and it's left at that. But it's not going to be like that. When Gandalf runs away, they're actually going to show what he's doing. When he goes to do battle with Sauron in Mirkwood, we're actually going to see it. In other words, McKellen's going to have quite a bit to do in these films, just as he did in the original trilogy.

 

[Armored Avenger]

I want Brian Cox and Brendan Gleeson to play Dwarves. Cast one as Thorin and the other as either Balin, Dain or Thrain.

 

[kedrell]

^Good ideas. I love that we're going to get to see more of the dwarves. They were very limited in LOTR.

 

[DarkKnight88]

In other words, McKellen's going to have quite a bit to do in these films, just as he did in the original trilogy.

But even then.. McKellen wasn't as active as, say, Elijah Wood or Viggo Mortensen. Gandalf disappeared half way through the first film, was hardly in any of the second and his bulk of action in the third was atop a horse. I doubt the two Hobbits films will call much more than that for McKellen.

Besides, as has been mentioned earlier. Gandalf is supposed to look old. Bilbo, in the Hobbit, should look not much different in age than Elijah Wood. I'm sorry to say but even makeup doesn't hide the fact that Ian Holm doesn't look like he's in his 30's or even his 50's.

 

[Doctor Jones]

You would have a good point if the movie's going to be like the book where Gandalf is running away all the time and it's left at that. But it's not going to be like that. When Gandalf runs away, they're actually going to show what he's doing. When he goes to do battle with Sauron in Mirkwood, we're actually going to see it. In other words, McKellen's going to have quite a bit to do in these films, just as he did in the original trilogy.

But he's mostly talking and he's not as active. He's a wizard, they managed to do it in LOTR they can do it here. Hell, he's less involved here than he was in LOTR. Bilbo is almost in every scene and he's always getting himself into deep ****. And plus, will Holm be up to it? Think about it. Production is a ways away still and the shoot is long by itself.

Like Kedrell said, Holm plays old Bilbo, I have no problem with younger actors being switched. Bilbo is suppose to look lilke Frodo, no way they can pull that off with Holm. Unless they do a ****load of CG work which will be very very expensive.

 

[Nirvana]

There'll be a ****load of CGI in this movie any way.

I really wish Holm would return, but its understandable. More than anything I hope that they are able to film a bit in England so Christopher Lee can return. Funny that I just finished watching Fellowship of the Ring: EE.

 

[Armored Avenger]

I'm sure I remember Del Toro saying he wants Holm involved somehow, as a narrator to the begining like Galadriel was in Fellowship of the Ring. And if they film the scene of Gandalf and Balin going to visit Bilbo a few years later in the Shire then maybe Holm could play him in that one scene, with make up or cgi to make him look a bit younger. It would only be one scene and it would provide a nice bridge from Hobbit Bilbo to Fellowship Bilbo.

 

[redhawk23]

my take on Mcavoy as bilbo

 

[kedrell]

^I like it.

 

[Watson]

There'll be a ****load of CGI in this movie any way.

I really wish Holm would return, but its understandable. More than anything I hope that they are able to film a bit in England so Christopher Lee can return. Funny that I just finished watching Fellowship of the Ring: EE.

Maybe Holm could be involved in some capacity. He could narrate?

 

[regwec]

The difference between Holm and McKellen reprising their roles is that McKellen's character is intended to have the outward appearance of a bent old man, whilst Holm would have to play the part of a much more youthful creature.

 

[Sawyer]

Ooh... Weaving is back!

 

[AndThePickles]

I am SO ready for this film.

 

[matrix_ghost]

I hope that Hugo Weaving will have a large part in the movies. I've always been a fan of him ( agent smith he he ) but i always felt that his role was very small in the LOTR movies.