Bilbo actor announced soon

[Tuor in Gondolin]

MTV Movie Blog says an announcement soon.

EXCLUSIVE: Guillermo Del Toro ‘Very Close’ To Annoucing Bilbo Baggins Casting For ‘The Hobbit’
Published by Eric Ditzian on Thursday, June 4, 2009 at 5:45 pm.
In what’s becoming something of a tradition between MTV News and Guillermo del Toro, every time we have a chance to chat with the Mexican-born director, we harass him for news about who’s been cast as Bilbo Baggins in his upcoming adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit.” Last year, he said it was still too early to speculate about the man who would be Baggins. Then at Sundance in January, del Toro announced that he’d narrowed the search to just four actors. So when the director stopped by the MTV offices today to chat about his new vampire novel “The Strain,” everyone had to know the “Hobbit” question would rise again.

It did, and del Toro revealed that four possible Bilbos had now become one. “I believe we’re very close now to saying one name,” he said, adding that he expects to make an announcement in the next few weeks.

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

My husband, the big newsgroup and blog reader, told me yesterday that Daniel Radcliffe had been cast as Bilbo for the Hobbit movie, though I don't recall what source he got it from. Interesting choice, if so. Wouldn't have expected that.

[Tuor in Gondolin]

There is this in Aceshowbiz

Daniel Radcliffe could be moving on from the "Harry Potter" series to "The Hobbit". Reporting on the actors rumored to be potentially cast as lead character Bilbo Baggins, Los Angeles Times through its Hero Complex blog listed the 19-year-old actor among other possible candidates, which allegedly include "Doctor Who" actor David Tennant and "Atonement" star James McAvoy.

About DR, I liked the first Harry Potter movie but think they should have replaced tHarry and his companions, since by the 3rd + movies they had aged beyond
the characters (partially due to the movies taking longer then book time to make).

Had that been done Radcliffe could have diversified more, not been typecast,
and been more credible and prepared for the role. Having said that, if he can be
suitably "aged" and "girthed" (Bilbo was never svelte ) physically he'd be
fine,but acting range wise ???

Perhaps the idea's to bring in fangirls since Legolas couldn't have much (if any) appearance in the films.

[Kitanna]

Originally Posted by Tuor in Gondolin

Had that been done Radcliffe could have diversified more, not been typecast,
and been more credible and prepared for the role. Having said that, if he can be
suitably "aged" and "girthed" (Bilbo was never svelte ) physically he'd be
fine,but acting range wise ???

Why take an actor who is super popular in one role and put him into another popular role? I've only seen the first two Harry Potter movies and Radcliffe wasn't that great of an actor. Perhaps his acting as gotten better...? Still I don't see him as much of a Bilbo figure. I could have seen him as one of the younger Hobbits from LOTR, but not as a young Bilbo.

As far as James McAvoy and David Tennant the other alleged choices for Bilbo, I'm not terribly familiar with their works. I'd rather see a new and somewhat unknown actor come into the role, though I feel that will be unlikely.

[Boromir88]

Daniel Radcliffe? You have to be kidding me. Hopefully this has no credibility.

Originally Posted by Kitanna

Why take an actor who is super popular in one role and put him into another popular role? I've only seen the first two Harry Potter movies and Radcliffe wasn't that great of an actor. Perhaps his acting as gotten better...? Still I don't see him as much of a Bilbo figure. I could have seen him as one of the younger Hobbits from LOTR, but not as a young Bilbo.

As far as James McAvoy and David Tennant the other alleged choices for Bilbo, I'm not terribly familiar with their works. I'd rather see a new and somewhat unknown actor come into the role, though I feel that will be unlikely.

James McAvoy is a fairly well accomplished actor. If you've seen Narnia: TL, TW, and TW, he played Mr. Tumnus. Recently he led (with Keira Knightly) in Atonement, and that was also a very good movie.

I suspect some of our resident 'Downers wouldn't mind the Dr. Who actor, although I've only seen one episode of it, so can't tell you about him.

With getting older, I think all of the young HP actors have improved, but Radcliffe is still pretty wooden and boring to watch, and I think the others over-act at times, as if they are stage actors. But they are certainly better than from the first couple. I would even suggest to go and watch the rest of 'em, I still think Prisoner of Azkaban has been the best one, but they have all significantly improved acting-wise and emotionally.

Still doesn't mean I want Radcliffe as Bilbo, I don't want him in the movie at all to tell you the truth. If true, this would be a huge blunder, and I may beg Peter to take over directing.

Edit: GDT also hinted that he wants Ron Perlman (played Hellboy) in the film, possibly as the voice of Smaug, yet he has 'bigger' plans for Perlman. They really must want to cut back on casting costs to save money on nifty SFX

[Pitchwife]

Acting skills aside, Danny boy is way too young! Bilbo was 50 when he went There and Back Again. Granted that hobbits age slower, as they come of age at 33, a hobbit of 50 should probably look like a man in his early or mid thirties.
If this was 20 years ago, I think Colm Meaney would have made a great Bilbo. He's too old now, but he would have had the perfect stature - both physically and acting-wise.

[Galadriel]

I heard Toby Maguire may be cast as Bilbo Baggins. Lord, prevent this from happening! I know the man is a good actor, but HE CAN'T PLAY BILBO!! That role requires someone very very...English...if you know what I mean. It needs a certain style.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

TORn has announced that Martin Freeman was chosen to be Bilbo in the Hobbit movie, and that he reluctantly declined because of filming for BBC's Sherlock, in which he plays Watson. However, it appears that the last word has not yet been spoken - negotiations are still in progress, with the hope that his schedule can be arranged to shoot both projects.

[Tuor in Gondolin]

Also from ToRN:
(Be afraid, be very afraid...PJ is apparently at it again).

inadvertently, we know of a possible change to the plot. The character summary says:

although . . . he doesn’t have huge courage he does become, particularly in the last battle, very brave.

As readers will remember, Bilbo is mostly knocked out for “the last battle” which we can assume is The Battle of Five Armies. (That title would mean very little to some actors.) No filmmaker, definitely including producer and probable director Peter Jackson could resist filming and showing such a battle with all its action and emotional wallop, despite the titular character from the source glossing over it (and that is obvious with no spy information at all). But this information is a possible plot reveal that Bilbo will remain conscious and the ‘film Bilbo’ will get to see wonders of battle that ‘book Bilbo’ never did and perhaps play a brave role.

[Hookbill the Goomba]

Originally Posted by Tuor in Gondolin

Also from ToRN:
(Be afraid, be very afraid...PJ is apparently at it again).

I saw this coming. It doesn't bother me so much. Like they said, for pure cinematic effect, they're going to make the battle as big and epic as they can afford. Something for the trailers, if anything. And you kind of have to have your protagonist in there somewhere to justify it. *shrug* So long as Bilbo doesn't kill Thorin, this doesn't strike me as so big a deal.

[Oddwen]

Maybe they'll model Bilbo's fight more after Pippin's fight at the Black Gate in RotK. Crushed by a troll/giant goblin/real warg, pulled out dead and then miraculously coming to seems like something PJ would do. Again.