Evangeline Lilly, Benedict Cumberbatch and Luke Evansjoining join the cast of The Hobbit

Sir Peter Jackson has added a new entry to his official Facebook page confirming the casting of two actors and announcing the addition of two more. To sum, he confirms the casting of Luke Evans as Bard and Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock in the BBC TV series Sherlock) as Smaug (but not the Necromancer). As for the new additions, Lost's Evangeline Lilly has joined as Tauriel a Woodland Elf (not a character in the book) while Barry Humphries (Finding Nemo) will do the motion capture and voice for the CGI Goblin King.

From Peter Jackson: 

I'm thrilled to announce two new cast members who will be joining us for our second block of shooting.

Evangeline Lilly will be playing a new character—the Woodland Elf, Tauriel. Her name means 'daughter of Mirkwood' and, beyond that, we must leave you guessing! (No, there is no romantic connection to Legolas.) What is not a secret is how talented and compelling an actress Evangeline is; we are thrilled and excited she will be the one to bring our first true Sylvan Elf to life.

I'm also highly excited that Barry Humphries will be portraying the Goblin King, in much the way Andy Serkis created Gollum. Barry is perhaps best known for his business and social connections as the long-time manager of Dame Edna Everage. He has also been an ardent supporter of the rather misunderstood and unfairly maligned Australian politician, Sir Les Patterson. However, in his spare time, Barry is also a fine actor, and we're looking forward to seeing him invest the Goblin King with the delicate sensitivity and emotional depth this character deserves.

Evangeline and Barry, along with Welsh actor Luke Evans as Bard and Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug, just about rounds out the major casting. I cannot wait to get stuck into these new scenes!
More soon, including a flurry of answers to your questions. Sorry for the delay!

Cheers,
Peter J

Source:  The Hobbit Movie Blog: Jackson Announces Two More Cast Members

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Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey and Andy Serkis as Gollum Officially Returning for ‘The Hobbit’

Ian McKellen as Gandalf 
in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings.
Image via wiki

Fear not, Hobbit-watchers: The band is getting back together. On the heels of Friday’s announcement that Elijah Wood will play Frodo Baggins in director Peter Jackson’s adaptation of The Hobbit, EW has confirmed that Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis will each reprise their roles from the Lord of the Rings films as, respectively, the wizard Gandalf the Grey and the creature Gollum. 

             via insidemovies

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THE HOBBIT is being filmed in 3D. Even wizards have to wear the glasses. Snapped by Peter Jackson in Wellington, 2011. Photo credit: zz-gandalf by ianmckellen, on Flickr

Elijah Wood will appear in The Hobbit as Frodo Baggins

Elijah Wood as Frodo in Peter Jackson's live-action version of The Lord of the Rings.Image via Wikipedia

Deadline.com hinted first but TheOneRing.net has confirmed that Elijah Wood will appear in The Hobbit as Frodo Baggins. According to TheOneRing.net, "As readers of 'The Hobbit' know, the tale of 'The Downfall of The Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit or There and Back Again,' are contained in the fictional 'Red Book of Westmarch.' In Peter Jackson’s LOTR films, the book is shown on screen and written in by Bilbo and Frodo and handed off to Sam Gamgee. (Not explained on film are Sam’s progeny later having the book and being Wardens of the Westmarch — hence the book’s title.) The fictional book, and either the telling from it or the reading of it, will establish Frodo in the films experiencing Bilbo’s story. Viewers are to learn the tale of ‘The Hobbit’ as a familiar Frodo gets the tale as well."

via wiki

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It’s Official: The Hobbit Gets Its Bilbo Baggins — and Many Dwarfs!

The Hobbit: Official Cast (Facts and Photos)

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Woodland Hobbit Home

You are looking at pictures of a wooden house built by Simon Dale for him and his family. It’s located in Wales somewhere in the middle of the forest, and it looks like a little Hobbit house from the Lord of the Rings. It’s all built out of natural materials, and the main tools used were a chainsaw, hammer and 1 inch chisel.

Via simondale.net, planetoddity

Related stories:

It’s Official: The Hobbit Gets Its Bilbo Baggins — and Many Dwarfs!

The Hobbit: Official Cast (Facts and Photos)

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The Hobbit: Official Cast (Facts and Photos)

Warner Bros./ New Line have announced that Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Rob Kazinsky, Aidan Turner, Graham McTavish, John Callen, Stephen Hunter, Mark Hadlow and Peter Hambleton have officially joined the cast of THE HOBBIT.

According to the studio, Freeman is confirmed as Bilbo Baggins, the hero of the story. Richard Armitage is set to play Thorin Oakenshield, the leader of the Company of Dwarves which sets off to reclaim the Lonely Mountain from a thieving dragon.

Aidan Turner (“Being Human”) and Rob Kazinsky (TVs “EastEnders”) will play Kili and Fili; Graham McTavish is Dwalin; John Callen is Oin; Stephen Hunter is Bombur; Mark Hadlow is Dori; and Peter Hambleton stars as Gloin.


Bilbo Baggins: Martin John C. Freeman (born 8 September 1971) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Tim Canterbury in the BBC's Golden Globe-winning comedy The Office (2001-2003), Arthur Dent in the film adaptation of Douglas Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005), and Dr. John Watson in Sherlock (2010).

Here come the hot dwarves!

Thorin Oakenshield: Richard Armitage (born 22 August 1971) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Lucas North in Spooks (2002), Steven in Frozen (2005), Percy Courtney in Miss Marie Lloyd (2007) and Guy of Gisbourne in Robin Hood (2006-2009).

Kili: Aidan Turner (born 19 June 1983) is an Irish film and television actor.
He is perhaps most notable for playing a vampire, John Mitchell, in Being Human (since 2009), a drama-comedy television series first aired on BBC Three, a United Kingdom television network.

Fili: Robert Kazinsky (born Robert John Appleby; 18 November 1983) is an English actor and model. He is best known for his appearance as Casper Rose in Sky One drama Dream Team in 2005/2006 and Sean Slater in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders from 2006 to 2009.

Sources: wiki, thehollywoodnews