Image Credit: Ross Setford/NZPA/AP Images
It’s been a long, tumultuous slog just to get to the starting line, but with production of The Hobbit finally set to begin on March 21, key members of the cast gathered in Wellington, New Zealand for a press conference to answer reporters’ questions and give the world a look at their faces before director Peter Jackson buries them under heavy makeup and Middle-Earth muck. Jackson, who is still recovering at home from his recent hospitalization for a perforated ulcer, was not in attendance at the press conference: “I’m currently under a medical form of house arrest to keep me from overdoing it,” he said in a statement. But Martin Freeman, who is playing the hobbit hero Bilbo Baggins, was on hand, along with 12 actors cast as the company of dwarves: James Nesbitt, Rob Kazinsky, Aidan Turner, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott, Graham McTavish, Peter Hambleton, John Callen, Stephen Hunter, Adam Brown, Mark Hadlow and Jed Brophy. A link to the video is below, but if you don’t have 38 minutes to spare, here are the highlights:
Freeman on following in the footsteps of Ian Holm, who played Bilbo in The Lord of the Rings trilogy: “Obviously I’ve been looking at what he was doing. There’s a certain level, of course, at which I have to match what he was doing and then forget it as well… Without being either big-headed or falsely modest, I think I’m quite a good match for him. I mean, I’ve seen worse matches… We’ll find out.”
Freeman, asked whether, given all the production’s difficulties, he’s worried about any “Hobbit curse”: “I’m not. I know what you mean. There are some bits of bad luck to do with it, I guess, that are almost comical, I suppose. But we’re all very optimistic about it. We’re all ready to go, just as soon as 2015 rolls around. We will be there and ready.”
Brophy on whether the cast is prepared to deal with “rabid Rings and Hobbit fans”: “We’ve had the shots.”
Kazinsky on being propelled to overnight heartthrob status: “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, bearing in mind that we’re probably not going to look like Adonises.… We have to be good first.”
Armitage on his thrill at being cast as Thorin Oakenshield: “My first experience on stage was in a production of The Hobbit at the Alex Theater in Birmingham. I played an Elf, and Gollum was a papier-mache puppet with a man offstage on a microphone. It’s been in my childhood very prominently, so to come to it as a middle-aged man and have another look at it is a brilliant opportunity.”
Freeman on Peter Jackson: “He’s as normal as is humanly possible for someone who’s richer than Croesus. For someone with as much money and Oscars as he’s got, he’s phenomenally, genuinely normal. It’s not an act. It’s not a put-on. Peter is… Sorry, Sir Peter — he’ll kill me if I don’t say that.”
Click here to watch the full press conference.
Read more:
‘The Hobbit’: filming begins March 21
‘Hobbit’ director Peter Jackson released from hospital
Peter Jackson recovering from surgery
‘The Hobbit’ scoop: Ian McKellan and Andy Serkis on board
Elijah Wood will appear in ‘The Hobbit’ as Frodo Baggins
‘The Hobbit’ to shoot in New Zealand
Am I the only one who finds the above picture to be hilarious? Can’t stop laughing, for some odd reason. I think it Freeman’s face.
Either way, I’m very excited about this film. Go Middle Earth!
I know! He looks positively hobbit-esque!
I’m so excited to finally see this movie coming to fruition!!! And hot damn wouldya look at Aidan Turner down in the left hand corner!
Yeah, they could have put Turner in the center of the picture and I wouldn’t complain:)
Amen to that. He is the reason why I watch Being Human (BBC America).
I hope they do a better job with this then The Trilogy. Over the years I have read the books four times and even so, I really had a hard time following a lot of the story line in The Trilogy. Hopefully, with only Bilbo to center upon, this will be a more enjoyable movie. It’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the others, just that I find it hard to believe anyone that had not read the books would be able to follow the original story line.
the heck with him…get a load of Rob Kazinsky in the front right! Beef! It’s what’s for dinner!
He looks buff- I’ll watch it for him and richard armitage- hotness!
Wow, the ugliest cast ever. Out of 14 people, only Turner, Kazinsky and Armitage are good looking. They need to bring back Legolas pronto.
It’s the dwarves that go swimming with little hairy women!
like! lmao
Speak for yourself Tipsy. I happen to think Freeman’s utterly adorable. :p
i agree, jamie! i love him!!
Oh tipsy, we meet again. Will you ever get over James McAvoy (who I adore but simply was not right for Bilbo) not being cast? GET OVER IT! Nobody wants to read you whine.
I agree with Tipsey, ugliest cast ever. And if you think Martin Freeman was their first choice for Bilbo your delusional, James McAvoy turned the part down.
They’re hobbits and dwarves and elves! They aren’t contesants for The Bachelor. They aren’t supposed to be hot. Sheesh. Although Rob Kazinsky is as hot as about 25 normal people put together, so that should be enough for ya.
Dwarves were supposed to be good-looking? Who knew?
It must be said that our worthy friend A. Coward is speaking of the Dwarves, of course, Khazad in our own tongue, and not the Men (and Women) who are commonly known toda as little people, and among whom are many striking folk.
You’ve become so PC since your bromance with Legolas, Gimli.
I like to see the Hobbit as a comedy.
Richard Armitage and Aidan Turner. That’s enough reason for me to see this. I’m beyond excited.
Indeed!!!!
Richard Armitage….yes!!
Well said. I am also excited that Richard Armitage said there may not be a lot of prosthetics so the hotness may shine through. And the others can be dwarvish. ;-D
Mitchell! That man is just so good looking even with beard. The cast looks interesting, can’t wait to see the final results.
Rob Kazinsky is reason enough to go and see it for me. Another Eastender done good!
Smaug! Smaug! Smaug!
There are so many people that I LOVE in this picture, it’s kind of hard to handle. Aidan Turner from Being Human, effing Martin Freeman aka Tim “the man” from The Office, and of course, OF COURSE, greek god Richard Armitage (MR. THORNTON!!!). Kind of excited about this movie in case you couldn’t tell.
Aiden Turner!!! You are so damn sexy…even if you are going to be playing a dwarf…
Martin Freeman is so freaking funny. God, he kills me “We’re all ready to go, just as soon as 2015 rolls around. We will be there and ready.” Haaa!
are there any men here?
just remember, ladies, all these good-looking men will be covered in hair and appear to be about 4 feet tall- remember gimli from the trilogy?
that is a great photo, though, and bilbo couldn’t have a more appropriate actor playing him.
can’t wait for these films!
richard armitage and aiden turner…this movie cannot be made soon enough…sexy beasts!
I only know Richard Armitage and Aiden Turner and trilled that they will on the same movie.