Cool News
Bilbo In THE HOBBIT May Very Well Be Played By...
Merrick here...
Yesterday, The Sun ran an article saying that Martin Freeman (THE OFFICE) had been offered the coveted Bilbo Baggins role in THE HOBBIT movie. The Sun said he'd declined said offer, and the substantive paycheck that might've accompanied it, because he was committed to shooting more installments of SHERLOCK for BBC (SHERLOCK being the smart modernization of Arthur Conan Doyle's Holmes character from current DOCTOR WHO overlord Steven Moffat - Freeman plays Dr. John Watson).
EW is saying that The Sun's information was correct - but has added an intriguing new twist to the casting saga:
according to sources close to the Hobbit production, it’s not over yet. New Line and MGM, the studios backing the Hobbit films, have since come back to Freeman with a proposed schedule that would allow him to shoot both projects. All parties are currently negotiating a deal.
...says THIS snippet over at EW.
Obviously, the ultra-awesome Ian Holm previously portrayed Bilbo in Peter Jackson's (subsequently set) LORD OF THE RINGS films - this admittedly crude side-by-side comparison of Freeman (l) and Holm (r) suggests a strong resemblance, thus a not-terribly-surprising continuity.
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I'd like that.
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Can't wait.
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...although I'd hate to lose him from "Sherlock". That show's excellent.
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Looks like a good match.
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...the bizarre Hitchhiker's Guide adaptation, but he was probably the best part of that movie(besides staring at Zooey Deschanel, of course). so I've got no qualms with him getting the part. but I do agree, get the ball rolling on this damn thing.
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Why keep announcing casting for The Hobbit, when you know it's never going to get made?
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that guy is kinda ugly and hobbit-like. plus he can play humble and likeable. i likes, now let's get this thing moving with Jackson at the helm.
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That's when you call BBC and tell them, " Pack up my shit. I ain't coming home. Sue me, wankers. I will have plenty of money to pay you off."
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Just ask the studio behind The Hitch Hikers Guide To The Galaxy.
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Sep 08, 2010 2:27:13 PM CDT
Maybe when they offered the first time he had just...
by harryknowlesnonexistentinceptionreview
...sat through a movie marathon showing of King Kong.
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Seriously, The Hobbit is stuck in limbo and how fucking long can it take to film three 90 minute episodes of series two of Sherlock? Never fear; we'll get at least one, if not two, more series of Sherlock before cameras roll on The Hobbit.
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my faith in this would be fully restored if they cast Freeman as Bilbo. He cannot be blamed for the disappointment that was Hitchhikers Guide.
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I'd turn down the Hobbit too, if I saw that.
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....that Nick Frost will get offered that gig.
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Hitch Hiker's Guide failed because of Martin Freeman.... it had nothing to do with a piss poor unfunny script and generally uninspired direction.
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Now... let's get these fucking movies made! Dear MGM, get your shit together and give us (in this order): Bond, Hobbit and Cabin in the Woods!
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He also voiced the character in the BBC radio adaptation which has better acting, better writing, better music, and better sets than the Peter Jackson films. The picture is better on radio.
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I hope he accepts the role. He's been my number one choice to play Bilbo.
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And CGI Freeman's face over Holm's in the LOTR: FOTR prologue, I wonder, rather like they did with Annakin's 'Force Ghost' (Christiansen in for Sebastian Shaw)?
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Sep 08, 2010 2:39:48 PM CDT
This site does a fucking bilbo could be every fucking week
by neck_lucas
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Sep 08, 2010 2:43:26 PM CDT
Planty_McPlant, STFU YOU MORON!!! AS IF HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE.....
by creationisttechnophobicmaniacs
Had any chance of becoming a smash hit. I'm amazed that it did as well as it did. The novel itself is dry British observational humour with an elemnt of ironic detachment. Not something the slobs of America would go for. Not enough dick and fart jokes I'm afraid.
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Can't think of anyone better
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Before you give yourself a stroke. All I'm saying is the average person is going to think "I HATED Hitchhikers, maybe Freeman sucked in it". So in that sense, he is box office poison.
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When are they shooting this thing?
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He is a great choice!
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Hope they can work it out.
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... about "de-aging" Ian Holm. God love him, but the man is 78 years old for cripes sake. The role of Bilbo in "The Hobbit" is FAR to physical for a man Sir Ian's age. Bilbo is 111 at the beginning of LOTR. He's 50 at the time of the Hobbit (equivalent to mid 30ies for modern humans). As for MGM's "brokeness", there's this from TORN: "The Los Angeles Times reports today that Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum, founders of Spyglass Entertainment, have signed a non-binding letter of intent to manage MGM," - Which would mean a $500 mil infusion of cash if they go through with it. Sooo, this thing may actually, FINALLY, get off the ground. Here's hoping...
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He's in every movie anyway. I suggest he would make an excellent hobbit.
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you had Martin Freeman, Stephen Fry, Zooey Deschanel, Sam Rockwell, Bill Nighy. So why didn't it work? Is it all the fault of the egregiously miscast Mos Def? or something else?
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this guy has no gravitas at all. bilbos' character is all about subtext and this guy is just too "gooey". he doesn't project the inner strength needed for the role. not a bad guy I'm sure, just wrong for the part.
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it was both a bad movie on its own AND a poor adaptation of beloved, classic source material. (Much like Watchmen.) Most of the cast was excellent, but the performances were not. I could drone on about this forever, but I won't. Long story short: the fault lies with (a) Douglas Adams for constantly second guessing his own youthful genius by rewriting/revising it to death (literally) in middle age and (b) the filmmakers who were so intent on honoring Adams' "spirit" (which he didn't belive in) that they failed to see the LETTER of his genius was manifested BEST, strongest, smartest and funniest in its EARLIEST incarnations. They were so determined to disatance themselves from those early incarnations and simultaneously create a self contained Hollywood-palatable "product" that they failed on ALL counts and delivered a good lucking but utterly incoherent, unfunny mess, shot through with small flashes of brilliance to indicate what MIGHT have been.
Freeman as Bilbo? Maybe, but I'd have to be convinced. And anyway hasn't TORN already debunked this? -
I liked him in Hitchiker's Guide.
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F the haters.
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"Blah blah blah, I'm a clueless tool, blah blah". The LOTR films grossed over 2 BILLION U.S. Someone WILL make this...
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The newspaper equivalent of lies and deceit!
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Not necessarily a good one, or a bad one, it's just always seemed somehow the most likely.
I'm not all that invested in Freeman, so I'll wait it out and see what comes our way.
I get the feeling this films are going to be made, hell or high water. On reflection, how could they not be? Toxic debt be damned.
I remember seeing those first pictures from Weta in Empire Magazine, of Tolkien's ork army arising over a long hilltop, prompting my first real experience of anticipating a large pop culture behemoth gradually stomping its way to birth near a cinema not so near me, not so very soonish.
The sweet, sweet agony slowly churns into motion once more. I await thee, shining scoundrel, I await thee. -
He would have had no choice, if he is still under contract to the BBC to do Sherlock. Thus, it falls back to the Hobbit producers to shift their schedule, and/or contact the Sherlock people themselves to see if something can be worked out, which is what it sounds like is happening now.
Never heard of him, but he looks great for the part. -
Sep 08, 2010 3:37:58 PM CDT
I couldn't get through 10 mins of the HITCHHIKER'S movie.
by colonelfatheart
And I generally like "British" humor, but this movie was far too precious and cutesy, and I'm sorry, BSB, but Zooey is cute to look at, but annoying.
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I had been thinking about Freeman earlier today...no, not like THAT...I saw some Kindle-esque poster that included an image from Hitchhiker's, it made me think about the movie, and how Freeman maybe got a bit of a bum rap from that movie tanking - not a great movie, but he was quite good in it. Cool beans if he gets it.
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You really don't have a clue, do you?
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I loved him on the office. He has displayed an excellent range in the various roles I have seen him in. I welcome it, and the chance for him to break out to the wider audience Hobbit would produce.
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the three SHERLOCK episodes (which will be on PBS in October and November) than the two (Two?!) THE HOBBIT movies. Which is only meant to be a comment on myself, who digs himself some Sherlock Holmes.
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So it makes no fucking sense to go with Martin Freeman, and claim that it works because you think he has some passing resemblance to a YOUNG Ian Holm.
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Serves me right for not readin the whole post.
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Pull Dick Smith out of the old folks home and make Freeman up to just like appropriately aged Holm as Bilbo. Fix his nose, brows and age him. Done.
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He was my first pick when they first announced they were going to film The Hobbit. James McAvoy was runner-up. Now if we can only see Paul Bettany as Thranduil and Richard Armitage as Bard from Lake Town I'll be one happy camper!
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I know that Jackson is understood to be director in proxy now that del Toro has flown the coop to Mythosland. But is that a done deal?
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Listen to him punkasses! He just CHOPPED all yall. Holm hasnt aged a bit. No reaswon to cast someone else. CHOPPED
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Well he does kinda look like a plump and jolly bard
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He played Frodo (and was--as always--amazing).
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Maybe they could de-age him too after they wheel him out of the old folk's home.
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The Great Goblin.That'd be one scary ass motherfucking goblin.
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I'm serious. I don't want to live in a world with a Shoreless HOBBIT film.
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Face shape similar. Other than that, they don't really look much alike at all.
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Always has been the obvious, no 1 choice.He was excellen in Hitchhiker's guide - it's the movie itself that wasn't great.
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They are also building sets and have tons of other things done. I don't know that this movie is ever getting made though.
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I hear Clint Eastwood could be game..
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And is it just me or does he look strangely like John Krasinski in that picture?
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He's great, he should be in more things, and he fucking knocked Hitchhikers Guide out of the park. I really enjoy this guy. And Hitchhikers, book and movie.
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You're in for a treat, Sherlock was great....especially episode 3. Enjoy.
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do a life-cast of Ian Holm's face and make a prosthetic appliance or 2 to fill out the areas of Freeman's face to better match Holm. better yet, if the life-cast used for Alien is still around then you have a young Ian Holm's face to work from. (they made one to do Ash's dismembered android head for when it gets burned)alternatively, do a life-cast of Freeman, scan both into a computer and digitally replace his face with the young Ian Holm's life-cast face. i would prefer to see the make-up trick used before cgi however. more cost effective, less distracting. and before anyone grumbles that "it cant be done"... notice that Ian Mckellan's nose as Gandalf is a prosthetic, and most of the characters in LOTR have some kind of prosthetic. ears, feet, that girl that plays Legolas has a codpiece.... Gimli's whole face...
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how few AICN readers watched the original The Office. I suppose the only thing that means is British humor has not been at the top of the list of priorities for geeks. Interesting.
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outline?
Where Santa Claus is the original Hobbit who left middle earth and became the jolly ol' "elf" (I love the irony) that we all know and love.
I'd like to see the version. It's somewhere on line.
It makes sense too, since Santa looks like a hobbit.
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of having me in The Hobbit.
But the few months I spent in Hollywood was more than enough to quit the business for good.
It's a wasteland out there.
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no one cares about the "original" The Office. Why? Because it sucks. It's pretentious Brit humor that makes you want to suck on an exhaust pipe and end it all.
At least the US version had some great moments the first 4 seasons.
CHOP THAT. -
Not necessarily a good one, or a bad one, it's just always seemed somehow the most likely.
I'm not all that invested in Freeman, so I'll wait it out and see what comes our way.
I get the feeling these films are going to be made, hell or high water. On reflection, how could they not be? Toxic debt be damned.
I remember seeing those first pictures from Weta in Empire Magazine, of Tolkien's ork army arising over a long hilltop, prompting my first real experience of anticipating a large pop culture behemoth gradually stomping its way to birth near a cinema not so near me, not so very soonish.
The sweet, sweet agony slowly churns into motion once more. I await thee, shining scoundrel, I await thee. -
If I kill myself, I'm taking you with me.I don't want to live in a Choppaless hell.
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is that he wasn't Hugh Laurie..FUCK why didnt that happen?!!!
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WOOOOO!
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No, don't go there - he fucked up Hithiker for me, dumb piece of casting. Totaly not in the same league as any cast member from LOTR.
If he's in it, fuck the film.
No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No No .
Dumb fucking idea!!!! -
... and you're still not funny...
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played Bilbo in the BBC radio LOTR.
Sherlock is great (in Moff we trust), but Freeman is entirely unconvincing as either a medical or ex-military man. His default setting is to look confused. Still, I prefer even him to that smug wanker McAvoy. -
The ring doesn't prevent aging it slows it down, dramatically. Gollum is well over 500 years old at the time of LOTR. the point is that the role is far too physical for a man of Holm's age to be convincing in the part. I always thought Holm looked a bit to old in LOTR for the very reason you've cited. Who are the alternatives to Freeman? Who do y'all like for the part? I've heard McAvoy bandied about. Too pretty for a Hobbit I deem, but there's always makeup...
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and he's always likeable in lighter roles. The problem is when he gets stuck with writers/directors who want him to be Tim From The Office. But beyond that, he's very much a case of you either love-him-or-hate-him.
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Not necessarily a good one, or a bad one, it's just always seemed somehow the most likely.
I'm not all that invested in Freeman, so I'll wait it out and see what comes our way.
I get the feeling this films are going to be made, hell or high water. On reflection, how could they not be? Toxic debt be damned.
I remember seeing those first pictures from Weta in Empire Magazine, of Tolkien's ork army arising over a long hilltop, prompting my first real experience of anticipating a large pop culture behemoth gradually stomping its way to birth near a cinema not so near me, not so very soonish.
The sweet, sweet agony slowly churns into motion once more. I await thee, shining scoundrel, I await thee. -
I wold posit that even the prequel trilogy is a better set of films.
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Sep 08, 2010 5:32:04 PM CDT
Anakins turn to the dark side is better than Frodos change
by the_choppah
Its more surprising and real, and Elija Woods is half the actor Hayden Christian is (thats not saying much though rofl). Plus at least the hero in the PT had a LOVE interest unlike Froddo (unless you count Sam roflmao!!!!)
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for cg landscapes than Jackson ever did...
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Hope he can alter his schedule to do it ;)
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the people who say AICN is starting to lose it's edge. AICN gets scooped on like EVERYTHING at this point! Why is there no story on the Dark Towers Universal deal?! AICN... you are starting to make me sad :(
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Sep 08, 2010 5:40:54 PM CDT
"lucas has a better eye for cg landscapes than Jackson ever did.
by nic_cages_real_hair
Choppah, re-watch "The Phantom Menace" and "The Fellowship of the Ring" back to back, and you will be forced to reconsider your opinion
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Seriously homes. WTF is happening around here??? Wheres the NEWS??? Well I got news for ya. Theres a whole lotta CHOPPING goin' on!
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Hugh Laurie in Hitch Hikers would have been awesome sauce. Instead we got two note Freeman. The two notes being "baffled" and "bemused". Prepare for two note Bilbo.
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I was having doubts myself but turns out they were unfounded...Lucas is the master
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Maybe THATS who James Macavoy should play
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Every scoop I see on major movie news I find at fuckin entertainment weekly for christ sake! WTF? In reference to Lucas/Jackson CGI landscapes, I thought Jackson used more "Biggatures" for that stuff? Or was that just the castles etc?
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Sep 08, 2010 5:45:09 PM CDT
Shit I even think the first Naria movie is better than FOTR
by the_choppah
Makes sense really since Tolken was half the writer CS Lewis was
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And yeah it gets sadder and sadder in here every day. Fuckin place is three days behind on scoops ON AVERAGE. The reviews are scattershot and inconsistent. And the fucking TBs are over-run by trolls. Hopefully now that schools back on theyll go back to wacking off to pictures of Mary Olsen or whatever teen dream is the shit right now.
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Actually, I still believe that.
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Sep 08, 2010 5:52:42 PM CDT
Wood was miscats....hire actuall little people this time!
by the_choppah
DINKLAGE FOR BILBO!!!
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this muther fucker looks nothing like ian holmes did when he was younger. This movie has become the biggest joke of the industry and no one cares to see it anymorem because of the back and fourth. it's like promising to send someone a present after showing it to them and then a few years pass and then finally th e present arrives and the person is honestly not fucking overjoyed about it anymore. This movie is dead. Bury it for many years and then maybe come back. The fans have left the building...
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That'd be nice, there do seem to be ALOT more trolls. Fingers crossed
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Even his "master piece" Heavenly Creatures is over-rated
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*shrug*
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this doucher for saying no and your guys for kneeing it back to his dick to get him to play the role. Since when do assholes who say no get it anyways. who's the bigger bitch here. who got the cock in the mouth and sauce on the lips. Both of you cunts do. if this fuckimbreed little fat nose midget fucking oasis unibrow mutherfucking self cock suckign fuck said no to me. i'd piss in a bottle of wine and send it to him with a letter telling him to shove it up his ass for being a dumb fucking streched out crab infected puss leaching cunt.
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You CHOP well, Judger....or should I call you Executioner?????
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wow you can say no now in the buisness and it wont hurt your chances. I'd rather have a how high guy in the role. You know someone who maybe makes a video of themselves playing the character and calls up weta constantly and tell them how much they love the character and how hard they will work to do the role justice. Wow this shit here just fucking confuses me.
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Stupid Hollywood suits probably get him mixed upw tih Morgan Freeman anyway. Morons
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Sep 08, 2010 6:07:55 PM CDT
These movies are goin to bury Jackson....................
by the_choppah
........................that is, if Tinton doesnt do it first!
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If they wait too fucking long, no one will give a damn anymore. It will be like the Star Wars prequels.
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Freeman is kind of a one-note actor, but IMO that note should harmonize perfectly with the role of Bilbo Baggins.
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"I could catch a monkey. If I was starving I could. I'd make poison darts out of the poison of the deadly frogs. One milligram of that poison can kill a monkey. Or a man. Prick yourself and you'd be dead within a day. Or longer. Different frogs, different times. "
Thank you IMDB
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Looking over his style and examples of his work, he seems to be often playing the fish-out-of-water straight man. Have they framed this Bilbo as a hobbit hanging on to his sanity amongst a ruckus of dwarves?
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I've been on the Freeman train since Hobbit was announced, so hopefully this works out.
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If you mean they're both white and British, I suppose you're right. They could have done worse.. .like Making Mos Def play Ford Prefect.
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Actually, this is not news. He was always the obvious choice. The real news is that there is a possibility he may not do it. First Jackson, then Del Toro, now Freeman. Does no one actually want to do this movie? What's next, "Ian McKellan had to back out of the Hobbit because he's doing a one-man revival of Richard III." For fuck's sake, film this shit already!...I gotta stop watching Taxi Driver before going to work.
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They're both Caucasian, I guess... I'm not sure if that line was meant to be a joke or what. These two men look almost nothing alike.
Side note: I don't think it matters much. Martin Freeman is a great choice. -
He is perfect for the role
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Perfect, perfect, perfect,perfect, perfect,perfect, perfect,perfect, perfect,perfect, perfect,perfect, perfect,perfect, perfect,perfect, perfect,perfect, perfect,perfect, perfect,perfect, perfect,perfect, perfect,perfect, perfect,perfect, perfect,perfect, perfect
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Id be totally ok with it if they Anakin-ed his ass into Fellowship. I can't think of anyone who could embody a young Bilbo better than Freeman. Someone said Simon Pegg and that is actually a good suggestion too, but if Freeman played Bilbo it would be as inspired a choice as Lee playing Saruman and Astin playing Sam and that big eye thing playing Sauron.
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who I thought was perfect as an older Bilbo.
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The prequels better than the LOTR trilogy? LOL No. Just no. We should all be thankful that the LOTR trilogy came out at the same time as the prequels.
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...was that the took out almost all the best jokes. I had no problem with Mos Def as Ford.
I had a huge problem with how they handled the character of Zaphod bebblebrox -- and hi second head. That was just dumb. Douglas Adams was obviously vexed about how to handle the second head in a day and age when CGI didn't exist, so he created a plot arc to take care of the problem.
I thought the point of view gun was a great idea. But, the directors (Hammer n Tongs, or whatever the fuck they called themselves) made some bad choices about what to pare out of the movie.
And the whole side trip to Vogon was basically pointless.
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Put the camera down, kiwi.
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Bilbo did not age between the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, which is why Gandalf said "You haven't aged a day" when he saw him at the beginning of FOTR. The Ring kept him the same age in appearance. So casting some 30 year old as Bilbo not only hurts continuity of the actor, but betrays the story itself.
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"were going to pursue the interests of the hobbit films even tho we will never have the cash flow to afford them" the studio watched inception and decided if leo can dream it, so can they
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It's the Duke Nukem Forever of Hollywood.
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it is the best move.
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It's not the age of the character that rules him out. It's the age of the actor. The role is simply too physical for a man Holm's age to be believable. Why fuck around with CG and doubles when it's COMPLETELY UNNECCESARY?
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What the fuck are you smoking??? They look *NOTHING* like each other!
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80 year old men don't *move* like 50 year old Hobbits. And no amount of "de-aging" or double substitution can fix that. Holm simply would not be believable. Bilbo has very small un-physical role in LOTR. In The Hobbit, he's a swash-buckling-hero-protagonist..
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When you have Serkis playing King Kong, and Gollum, and when you have CGI'd real faces on to stunt bodies in Avatar, fuck it. Spend the money. Capture Holm's performance now. Insert into the movie at some future date.
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No, wait...
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I disagree. FX are not a fix all, and in this case it's cumbersome and uneccessary. In most cases, even post Avatar, CG still *looks* like CG. You wanna' cast Clint Eastwood as Roland in the just announced "Dark Tower" project? He'd have been great for it 30 years ago. I don't get your stand on this issue at all.
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Don't forget Stephen Fry and Alan Rickman as well.
A lot of the casting was pretty much spot on.
It was the disjointed direction, mangled script and incoherent plot that destroyed that film. -
calling him "a wanker for ruining the character of Arthur Dent."
He didn't appear to respond well to my critique of his performance.
However he is far better in Sherlock. So Martin, if you're reading this I apologise. but HHGTTG was a pile of horse arse.
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... and his name is Bimbo, which in portuguese is slang for "redneck". Which Bilbo is.
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The UK OFFICE, you phillistines!
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[The opening notes of “Piano Man” begin—played on a musical buzzsaw]
It's 2 AM on a Saturday
The regular crowd all log in
There's an old troll spouting off at me
Showing off to his make-believe friends.
I type, "Chop, can you slay me this wee douchebag?
I'm not really sure who he is--
But a geek and a nerd--just some guy they call “Turd”
And his posturing just really blows!"
Cha Cha-Cha di-di Cha-Cha Cha-Cha di-di Cha, da DUMB!
“Chop us a troll--you're the Choppah man!
Chop us a troll tonight!
Well, we're all in the mood to eviscerate--
And the Choppah is just dynamite!”
Now AsimovLives is a friend of mine
He gives movie advice for free
He says Polanski jokes always makes his ears smoke
But there's nowhere that he’d rather be
He types "Fishus, thse talkbacks are killing me,
Cause I have to type at sch a pace,
And I'm sure Jar Jar Abrams has bought tish site, and he is now runnig the place!"
Now Corpse is a make believe Satanist
Who never had much of a life
And he's rantin’ at Titty who's sanity’s iffy
And wishes Scar-Tit was his wife.
And Coughlins is screaming ‘bout politics
As the Pedalback crew all get stoned
Yes they're all on a site they call Aint It Cool--
And’d be better off being alone.
These are pretty good hits for a Saturday
And I know that this makes Harry smile
'Cause he knows we won’t stop
Logging in for a Chop
To watch Choppah in action awhile
And the Chopping sounds like a buzzsaw
As Chop teaches all the trolls fear!
And we sit and we yack on a thing called Talkback
And think, "Man, what am I DOING here?"
Cha Cha-Cha di-di Cha-Cha Cha-Cha di-di Cha, da DUMB!
“Chop us a troll--you're the Choppah man!
Chop us a troll tonight!
Well, we're all in the mood to eviscerate--
And the Choppah will make it alright!”
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is the shit.Wish he could play every role. Old fucker could pull it off too.
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He was great in the office because he acknowledged the audience and was our point of connection but he was essentially playing himself. Everything else he's been in, he looks like someone in a school play trying to act.
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You just REALLY like the sound of your own voice huh?
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An actor's performance consists of more than just their face and voice. This discussion is completely beside the point anyway, Ian Holm will not be cast.
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And I agree with yer, SMoaters. Holm ain't gonna be cast. People should move on.
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Now just make the fucking film before Ian dies.
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Very little resemblance to Ian Holm !
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I'd buy that for a dollar!
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He's a good actor and would really fit well into that role, I think.
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How about Tom Hardy?
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His involvement int he project makes me a lot more interested for some reason.
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as a favourite to play Bilbo, but I guess with his x men first class commitment that's not going to happen.
It's a shame because I prefer him to Freeman.
You only have to look at Wanted to know he could perfectly portray Bilbo's character arc from timid hobbit to spider killing, dragon teasing bad-ass. -
the stage school teenager playing holmes is a load of shite, the characters are poorly treated and the whole thing reeks of modern north london-centric arrogance in the way that only people who want to live near jude law would find appealing.
to lose the best potential casting of bilbo to that is a double kick in the bollocks. -
"Bilbo did not age between the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, which is why Gandalf said 'You haven't aged a day' when he saw him at the beginning of FOTR." - First of all, we SAW younger Bilbo in the same damn movie, picking up the ring in the prologue - remember? He did indeed look younger. And Gandalf saw Bilbo after the adventures of "The Hobbit," if you've read the books - that wasn't his first return to the Shire (if it had been, how would Frodo even know him?). The idea was that the ring dramatically slowed his aging, but it didn't preserve him perfectly from the moment he picked it up. That's how it worked in the books and how it was shown in the movie as well. So yeah, they need a younger guy than 80 year old Ian Holm to play him.
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Earlier in this thread I said that "the ring dramatically slows down aging", but that is not an accurate statement. I "extends" life, prolongs it. It does not impart "new life" or vigor. The bearer merely 'goes on', and on... In both book and film, Bilbo tells Gandalf that while he may not *look* signifcantly older, that he *feels* older, stretched, thin, "like butter scraped over too much bread". When The One is destroyed, Bilbo deteriorates, ages, almost over night. By the time he shows up at the havens, he looks every bit of his 133 years. The Bilbo of "The Hobbit" is a barely middle aged very vigorous Hobbit. And the role he plays in the quest is very physical. In LOTR, not only does he appear for a very short time at the beggining and end, he doesn't do anything more physical than walking and eating. Can you imagine poor old Ian Holm convincingly riding a barrel out of Thranduil's cellars? You'd have to CG his face and substitute his voice upon a much younger host, which is a risky proposition at best, IMO, if the performance is to be believable. Acting is PHYSICAL, it's body language, it's movement. Using a great actor like Holm in such a fashion is not only needless, it's disrespectful.
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he's way more closer in resemblance to Ian Holm than Dr Watson!
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Is bloody genius, finally someone got the character right and did him some contemporary justice. Best Sherlock Holmes presentation since the Jeremy Brett TV shows and the excellent Billy Wilder flick 'The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes'. That crap they released last year with RDJ and Jude Law was action orientated bollocks for knuckle-draggers, it was more Indiana Jones than Sherlock!
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already played Young Bilbo in Fellowship's flashback. It was perfect & seamless. And that was "de-aging" technology circa 1999.
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He looked too old. His HANDS looked too old, and they could have easily 'dubbed' them. Continuity with this sort of thing is much more difficult to achieve than you are apparently aware. Holm is too old. Plain and simple.
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...Would come up with such a patently stupid, unworkable solution as that. It's so fucking dumb on so many levels it's even giving me a headache contemplating the notion, let alone analyzing it, which I won't...
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... not '79 or '80, as he will be if this thing gets underway in the next couple of years.
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Aside from the curly brown wig, they taped his face back in a "Hollywood Facelift" (much like Pesci in the early scenes of Goodfellas) to pull his skin tighter and make him look younger than his mid-sixties. For the regular scenes, his hair is greying and his face has fallen somewhat. He's quite definitely aged, but only looks in his sixties, still quite well preserved for an 111 year old. If they do snag Freeman, I like the suggestion somewhere up above to subtly age him with make-up and prosthetics to more closely match Holm's look. But not too far. Mainly some eye creases and a nose to cover up Freeman's weird little pug nose.
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pretty nice move turning down a guaranteed hit (erm, if they can shoot it)...i like that dude.
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Sep 09, 2010 11:56:44 PM CDT
Surely YOU, mortsleam, haven't missed the point as well?
by skyway moaters
Does anyone really want a "hybrid" Bilbo Baggins? 80% of the film a younger, fitter person, who doesn't necessarily need to be an actor, "going through the motions"? All we get of Holm is his "de-aged" face, and his 80 year old voice. Why would anyone really want to do this? The body language and movement WILL not match when they use Holm, again: "de-aged", for the "non- 'physical'scenes. It would be freaky, like a dopple-ganger or something.
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It's really just his little pug nose that needs covering up.
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The Hobbit.
Can anyone verify this awesome news?
http://tinyurl.com/37ok9rk -
...and one of the many reasons I disliked Hithikers was because of his flabby performance. Yeah, yeah...he was fine in The Office but he's just too much of a mush face/mouth. Lawks, the thought of watching that barely animated and grotesque pile of manflesh on a neck gives me the heebies in about ten different directions. C'mon, just get McAvoy (psshhtt...yer Barmy Moaters, I tell'ee!) already and film the damned thing before all the fans die of old age.
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Or before the cast dies of old age.
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or they'll lose Gandalf. Ian ain't gonna wait for MGM's slow boat to Hobbiton.
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Ok you're right, I AM barmy, but I never endorsed Freeman, merely said that Holm is too old. And so is Firth for that matter. McAvoy is still the best choice IMO, but he'll never do it...
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...thought you said earlier that McAvoy was too young looking or something like that. The questions is...does that truly qualify one as barmy?Why do you say he'll never do it?
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it's the 15th of September.
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... maybe "never" is a little strong. I suppose it's possible if the timing works out, but my personal take is that he'll shy away from it out of fear of being type-cast or being "too associated" with one particular role. His career is going gangbusters without the (on again - off again) Hobbit.
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McAvoy needs to eat and lick the plate clean to get fat enough to play Bilbo. Whereas Freeman would need to learn to act to play Bilbo.
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