As Guillermo del Toro continues his work on The Hobbit, the busy director has confirmed that the movie will have some familiar faces. Lord of the Rings trilogy actors Andy Serkis (Gollum), Ian McKellen (Gandalf) and Hugo Weaving (Elrond) will all reprise their roles, the director revealed on BBC Radio 5.
The Hobbit, based on the book by J.R.R. Tolkien, is set before the events of the author's Lord of the Rings series, and follows Frodo Baggins' uncle, Bilbo, and his adventures in acquiring the one Ring.
Del Toro intends to split the book into two movies, and revealed that Gandalf's abrupt departure from Bilbo and the dwarves' quest against the dragon Smaug - not narrated in the novel - will appear on screen as a means of further linking the film to Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies.
And probably the only thing people want to know at this point is who will play Bilbo Baggins? According to Cinema Blend, del Toro also confirmed that he’s close to casting decisions on major roles, including Bilbo. Will it be Ian Holm or someone else? Martin Freeman was rumoured for a long time, although this seems quite unlikely. An announcement is expected fairly soon.
The first installment of The Hobbit is due in December 2011.
