While there will be plenty of new faces in The Hobbit, the upcoming Lord of the Rings prequel will also be a bit of a reunion. In addition to Elijah Wood, Andy Serkis, Ian McKellen, Cate Blanchett, Bret McKenzie (albeit in a different role), and Orlando Bloom, Director Peter Jackson has announced that Ian Holm will be reprising his role as the elder Bilbo Baggins. Martin Freeman stars as the young version of Bilbo. Writing on his official Facebook page , Jackson clarifies some confusion from the end of his first Hobbit video blog:
One comment that came up from the recent video blog was the Bilbo voice at the end—many of you assumed it was Sir Ian Holm. Whilst Ian will be returning as the older Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit, that recording was actually Martin Freeman’s voice, taken from a script read through we recorded when the cast first arrived. I have to admit, I wasn’t sure who it was when I first heard it, either. Cheers, Peter J
If you were an actor who appeared in the original trilogy, now would be the time to start feeling hurt. The Hobbit will be broken into two parts. Part 1 is set for December 2012 and Part 2 will come out in December 2013. Hit the jump for a synopsis of the book.
Here’s the synopsis for J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit:
Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit, is a peaceful sort of cozy hole in the Shire, a place where adventures are uncommon and rather unwanted. So when the wizard Gandalf whisks him away on a treasure hunting expedition with a troop of rowdy dwarves, he’s not entirely thrilled. Encountering ruthless trolls, beastly orcs, gigantic spiders, and hungry wolves, Bilbo discovers within himself astonishing strength and courage. And at the ultimate confrontation with the fearsome dragon Smaug, the hobbit will brave the dangers of dark and dragon fire alone and unaided.