The Playlist

Cate Blanchett & Ken Stott Join 'The Hobbit,' Sylvester McCoy & Mikael Persbrandt Confirmed

By Kevin Jagernauth
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December 7, 2010 9:05 AM
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6 Comments

More players have joined the growing cast of Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit" with two recent names confirmed, one new name we haven't heard had and one famous, familiar face returning.

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Former 'Dr. Who' Star Sylvester McCoy Confirms He's Been Cast In 'The Hobbit'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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December 6, 2010 4:01 AM
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6 Comments

Won't Reveal Who He's Playing, But It's Probably Radagast The BrownLate last summer, actor Sylvester McCoy, probably best known to American audiences for his role on the 1980s version of "Doctor Who," revealed he was in talks to join "The Hobbit" in an unspecified "wizard" role. Well, speaking to the BBC (via Entertainment Fix), the actor has confirmed that those talks went well and that he has been cast in the film. But he's keeping mum for now on who he's playing.

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Swedish Actor Mikael Persbrandt Reportedly Cast In 'The Hobbit'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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December 3, 2010 2:58 AM
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0 Comments

The cast of "The Hobbit" continues to grow as it gears up to start shooting in February and it looks like another smaller name has joined a cast of faces that, for the most part, will be making their grand debut on international cinema screens.

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Ron Perlman Out Of 'The Hobbit,' Nic Cage Talks "Abstract" 'Ghost Rider 2' & More Sequel News

By Gabe Toro
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December 2, 2010 5:57 AM
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0 Comments

Jeff Bridges Talks Sequel To 'The Last Picture Show'; 'American Pie 4' In The Works & More-Ron Perlman has confirmed that with the exit of Guillermo del Toro, he too will be skipping "The Hobbit." "I'm not doing [it]," he told ComingSoon. His giant forehead will next be seen in "Season of the Witch" and will probably be a candidate to show up in del Toro's "At The Mountains of Madness." -Nicolas Cage confirmed to io9 that "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" is more of a standalone story than an actual sequel to 2007's dodgy "Ghost Rider." "This one is completely reconceived," he says, comparing the original to a "fairy tale," adding, "It's not even connected to the first one, it's a different origin story. But I think it will be a brand new experience." Cage adds, "...we're getting into some really abstract stuff that I think will mess with people's minds." He also states that the involvement of directors Brian Taylor and Mark Neveldine were the reason he signed to do the project in the first place, which certainly makes it seem like he doesn't owe millions of dollars to the IRS. But hey, castles don't pay for themselves.

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News From The Shire: Peter Jackson To Shoot 'The Hobbit' On 3D RED Cameras, Ian McKellen Confirmed

By Oliver Lyttelton
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November 29, 2010 3:20 AM
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19 Comments

After something of a roller coaster year, with an endlessly sliding start date, the bailing of director Guillermo Del Toro, and nearly losing preferred lead Martin Freeman, "The Hobbit" is finally gearing up to shoot in the new year, with Freeman joined by new cast members like Richard Armitage, James Nesbitt and Aidan Turner, as well, possibly, as the rumored likes of David Tennant, Michael Fassbender and Saoirse Ronan.

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Howard Shore Returns To Score Peter Jackson's 'The Hobbit'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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November 18, 2010 6:14 AM
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1 Comment

While the faces will be different in Peter Jackson's forthcoming two-parter "The Hobbit," the behind scenes talent will largely remain the same. With the project now gearing up to shoot in the longtime home of Middle Earth New Zealand, and with Jackson set to work with the same crews he utilized on those films, it's no surprise that a familiar name is returning to score the film and help replicate the magic of "The Lord Of The Rings" trilogy.

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Guillermo del Toro Admits He Didn't Want 3D For 'The Hobbit,' Doesn't Want It For Frankenstein'

By Edward Davis
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November 3, 2010 4:01 AM
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2 Comments

Filmmaker Says He Doesn't Want 'Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde,' Or 'Frankenstein' To Be In 3D, Is On The Fence About 'Slaughterhouse Five' Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro is perhaps today's biggest genre-centric multi-tasker. If his projects file were a kitchen it would be jam-packed with several sous-chefs working on dishes in different states of readiness; many still marinating, trying out different sauce combinations, with some tested in various iterations and ready to to go on the grill.

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James Nesbitt & Adam Brown Join 'The Hobbit'; Ian McKellen Says He's Still Without A Contract

By Kevin Jagernauth
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November 2, 2010 2:42 AM
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1 Comment

More good news from The Shire. With Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit" having a firm greenlight and also settling the union woes that once threatened to move the production from New Zealand, two more names have been added to the growing cast for the film.

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Peter Jackson Talks Casting Richard Armitage As New Heroic Figure In 'The Hobbit'

By Kevin Jagernauth
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October 27, 2010 9:20 AM
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5 Comments

Director Says Heartthrob Actor Could Rival Legolas Or AragonWhen the first round of casting for "The Hobbit" was announced last week most of the names were unknown (but check out our handy guide to figure out just who these folks are) but for those of us familiar with Richard Armitage, he seemed to be a strange fit. Best known perhaps for his role on the Brit spy series "Spooks" ("MI: 5" in the United States), the decision to have him play the crabby old dwarf Thorin Oakenshield seemed slightly odd. We weren't quite sure what to make of Armitage being tasked to play a four-foot codger, but of course, Peter Jackson knows exactly what's he doing.

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It's Official: 'The Hobbit' Will Stay In New Zealand

By Edward Davis
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October 27, 2010 1:02 AM
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0 Comments

Warner Bros. Seems To Have Received The Good End Of The Wizard StickNew Zealanders looking forward to an economic boost and fans of a homegrown Middle Earth staying put can rejoice. "The Hobbit" is staying in New Zealand. The New Zealand government announced last night that it had reached an agreement between director Peter Jackson, Warner Bros. — who were threatening to take the two films offshore — and the NZ labor unions that the production had been warring with and endangered to derail the picture.

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The Playlist

Cate Blanchett & Ken Stott Join 'The Hobbit,' Sylvester McCoy & Mikael Persbrandt Confirmed

Former 'Dr. Who' Star Sylvester McCoy Confirms He's Been Cast In 'The Hobbit'

Swedish Actor Mikael Persbrandt Reportedly Cast In 'The Hobbit'

Ron Perlman Out Of 'The Hobbit,' Nic Cage Talks "Abstract" 'Ghost Rider 2' & More Sequel News

News From The Shire: Peter Jackson To Shoot 'The Hobbit' On 3D RED Cameras, Ian McKellen Confirmed

Howard Shore Returns To Score Peter Jackson's 'The Hobbit'

Guillermo del Toro Admits He Didn't Want 3D For 'The Hobbit,' Doesn't Want It For Frankenstein'

James Nesbitt & Adam Brown Join 'The Hobbit'; Ian McKellen Says He's Still Without A Contract

Peter Jackson Talks Casting Richard Armitage As New Heroic Figure In 'The Hobbit'

It's Official: 'The Hobbit' Will Stay In New Zealand

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