Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis in Talks for The Hobbit
Guillermo del Toro will enter pre-production on the two-film big screen adaptation of The Hobbit after Hellboy II: The Golden Army hits theaters in July. Variety reports that Warner Bros has already had “preliminary contact” with three actors from Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy about reprising their roles for the upcoming prequels:
- Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn)
- Ian McKellen (Gandalf)
- Andy Serkis (Gollum).
Guillermo promises that he is doing everything in his power to bring all the original team back.
“We will all be involved in the script in some fashion but the exact definition is about a week away,” del Toro told the trades. “I am all for keeping the actors who originated the parts, as much as availability and their willingness will allow.”
Basically, del Toro knows he needs to please the fans, first and foremost. It should be noted that on May 24th, WETA will be hosting a one-hour live online chat with Jackson and del Toro to answer the 20 most asked fan questions/concerns. Smart move.
Previously
Serkis lists The Hobbit on his upcoming production calendar on his official website and last month McKellen confirmed to Empire Magazine that he will return.
“Yes, it’s true. I spoke to Guillermo in the very room that Peter Jackson offered me the part, and he confirmed that I would be reprising the role. Obviously, it’s not a part that you turn down; I loved playing Gandalf.”
No word on Ian Holm who played an older Bilbo Baggins in Fellowship, will likely be recast as he is getting too old (76) to play the part.
Spielberg Now Directing First Tintin Movie! Serkis Confirmed As Captain Haddock!
It seems there has been quite a big a shake up on the upcoming Tintin trilogy. It was thought that Peter Jackson would be directing the first movie after he had finished work on The Lovely Bones, but it now appears that is not the case and Spielberg will be the man in the directors chair for the first outing. This could be due to a number of reasons, but the one that sticks out is that Peter Jackson may want to get started on The Hobbit now the writers strike is over. It may also explain why Spielberg’s The Trial of the Chicago 7 has been delayed. This information comes from actor Andy Serkis, who spoke to IndieLondon about the films. Serkis, who has worked with Peter Jackson before on a number of films such as King Kong and Lord Of The Rings, also confirmed that he will be playing Captain Haddock.
Q. Are you going to be reuniting with Peter Jackson again for Tintin?
Andy Serkis: In fact tomorrow I’m flying out to start on Tintin. Steven Spielberg is directing the first one, and then Peter Jackson is doing the second. The bulk of the shoot starts in September but things got a little bit moved around after the writers’ strike.Q. Were you at all worried when Peter first got back in touch that having played Gollum and King Kong, he might ask you to play Snowy the dog?
Andy Serkis: [laughs] Absolutely, in fact people assume that I am, which is even more disturbing [he’s playing Captain Haddock].
Gollum Joins Tintin!
It is common for directors to stick with actors they know and work well with. There is Depp and Burton, Carter and Burton, Crowe and Scott, and now you can safely say there is Serkis and Jackson. Andy Serkis’s career was going steady until he landed the role of Gollum in The Lord Of The Rings. Everyone wanted to know who the man behind the CGI was, and that is when Serkis became well known. He then re-teamed with Jackson for King Kong, and landed a few other good roles in movies like The Prestige and Flushed Away. Now he is to reteam with Jackson again for Tintin.
Tintin will not be your average blockbuster. Not when Steven Spielberg AND Peter Jackson have said they want to work together, and direct one film each. Whoever ends up directing the thrid film will have a LOT of pressure to live up to the previous films, especially as they will be in 3D and probably amazing.
Filming is expected to start next September.
