The tabloid The Sun has informed recently that actor Tobey Maguire (Spiderman) is rumored to play the Bilbo Baggins role in The Hobbit. The rumours have been doing the rounds for about 1 month, indicating that both producer Peter Jackson and director Guillermo Del Toro have been chasing Maguire:

Everyone is over the moon. Tobey is not only one of the most recognisable faces in Hollywood, he is also one of the best actors.

Tobey Maguire was recently asked about the rumor and claimed he had not been approached:

I love Guillermo del Toro and Peter Jackson and I certainly wouldn’t take myself out of the conversation.

Aintitcool.com managed to get a reply to an email they sent Peter Jackson asking if there was anything in this latest rumor:

No truth at all, although we’re all big fans of Toby. We are currently auditioning for Bilbo, and a month or two away from any announcements.

Thanks THM!