I have been promised I’m in it.

This happened 12 hours from eating dinner with The Hobbit director Guillermo Del Toro. He also mentioned that it’s possible that he will reprise his role in X-Men Origins: Magneto, depending on the Wolverine saga development. If another Wolverine movie is created, it’s highly probable that Ian leaves the proyect.

Thanks RC!

Thanks EW!

“We’ve decided to have The Hobbit span the two movies, including the White Council and the comings and goings of Gandalf to Dol Guldur,” says Del Toro.

“We decided it would be a mistake to try to cram everything into one movie,” adds Jackson. “The essential brief was to do The Hobbit, and it allows us to make The Hobbit in a little more style, if you like, of the [LOTR] trilogy.”

Now we can begin to speculate where the cut is going to be =)

Thanks EM!

Lord Of The Rings

IGN: Will you be reprising your role as Saruman in The Hobbit or the follow-up film that links it to Lord of the Rings?

Lee: I’ve heard Ian McKellen has agreed to play Gandalf again in The Hobbit. But my character doesn’t appear [in the book] at all. But then again you never know. They might suddenly put in the council of the wizards. I have no idea. Nobody has approached me and as for this mysterious other film, is it supposed to take place before The Hobbit, after The Hobbit, before Lord of the Rings?

IGN: It’s supposed to link the events of The Hobbit with those of Lord of the Rings. As a Tolkien expert you might be a good person to have on set…

Lee: Well, yes, because you have to remember that they’re thousands of years old these wizards. It might be the time when Saruman the White was the head of the council and was a decent, noble, marvellous person. They might show him in that light because it was never explained why he suddenly turns.

IGN: Would you be willing to reprise the role?

Lee: In the spirit very much so. But I’ve reached an age now [86] where going to New Zealand again would be a very considerable effort. It would not be easy because it’s an exhausting journey. Even with a break I’m not sure I could do it.

IGN: If they could film your part in London, would you be interested?

Lee: Oh yes, of course. I’d be delighted.

“I’d rather finish the job myself than have another actor do it,” says Mortensen. “I’m interested in principle, but I’d want to see it done in the right spirit of Tolkien.”

Viggo gave a nod of approval to new director Guillermo del Toro, saying, “He’s strongminded, intelligent and probably just as stubborn [as Jackson].

“I don’t know if it’ll be as big a circus [as the Trilogy] in terms of several people writing changes at the last minute.

“Maybe it’ll be more streamlined and efficient, but to some degree it’ll probably be as bewildering a set-up as the other three.”

Mortensen also claims the original trilogy became more led by effects as the series progressed.

“The Fellowship Of The Ring for me was the one most faithful to Tolkien. The one that had the most to do with any kind of subtlety in terms of performance and storytelling.

“Starting with the second one it became more of a blockbuster special effects thing. That’s not to say as that type of movie they weren’t the best.

“You can’t argue with the films’ success, but had it been me, I would have focused less on the effects and more on the characterisations.

“I’d have allowed the secondary characters to speak more and not be so focused on the heroes. There was more balance in the way that all the races of Middle-earth were presented in the first one. It was more about the relationships… That’s just my personal taste.”

Thanks totalfilm for the info!

What’s this all about? Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin are nowhere in The Hobbit book. In fact, they’re not even born during Bilbo Baggins’ adventures with the dragons. Could it be one of the first clues about the plot of the second Hobbit film? Let’s recall that it’s generally considered the bridge between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, which may include some of the original cast such as Ian McKellen (Gandalf) and Andy Serkis (Gollum). However, director Guillermo del Toro has been absolutely silent about the concrete details of the second film.

We’ll bring you the updates to this information as soon as possible. In the meantime, what do you think about a possible return of the 4 beloved hobbits?

Thanks FS!