Hell freezing over, pigs flying, Angels winning the pennant– pick whatever metaphor for shit that ain’t likely to happen you prefer and apply it here: The Sun may have gotten a bit of casting news correct! No, Eddie Murphy hasn’t been announced as The Riddler in Batman 3– instead, their story from yesterday, that original Office star and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy lead Martin Freeman is in talks to play Bilbo Baggins, may very well be on the money.
Entertainment Weekly is reporting today that not only was The Sun correct in surmising that Freeman was a top choice, but that the production is still actively negotiating a scheduling arrangement that would allow the actor to handle The Hobbit without interfering with his shoots for UK television’s Sherlock (he plays Watson). This is much more optimistic than The Sun‘s assertion that the casting ship had sailed. Naturally this is all contingent on MGM’s shit being gotten together (and it seems Spyglass will be the one to do so).
Martin Freeman, as Tim (who becomes John Krasinski’s Jim Halpert in the US version) always provided the warmer, saner center of the UK Office. Of course, even Freeman’s charm is like a 5 pound anchor fighting against Hurricane-level winds of awkward delusion and caustic self-loathing though, which is a large part of the reason I can only take that show in small doses. Freeman was also among the many paradoxically excellent casting choices in the bizarrely un-excellent Hitchhiker’s Guide. I think he’d be a fine choice to play Bilbo Baggins, but my investment in The Hobbit is minimal… I’d be very interested to hear your take on the possible casting choice on the CHUD Message Boards.
10 comments
Eh. Seems kinda… bland.
I love this casting!
sort of perfect.
But the Angels have won the AL West like four years in a row now. Or did you mean solely this year. Hey, they're only 9 games back with a little under a month to go. Stranger things have happened.
Think I'd prefer McAvoy for his more impish qualities. I'm also a slightly worried that Freeman might be a bit bland. But he certainly looks the part, he could easily be a young Ian Horn, and he could turn out to be a perfect Hobbit. The best part is that something might actually be happening on this endlessly stalled film.
I always saw Bilbo as kind of popinjay. I think Freeman could pull off a character that has enjoyed a lot of sheltered privilege who is then over his head in the real world. Of course Bilbo turns into a great adventurer through the book. As much as I enjoy McAvoy (BBC version of State of Play), I don't think he could do Bilbo justice.
They need to cast an american as the lead hobbit. It's the only way it will work. The british can't act to save their own inbred asses.
Freeman is absolutely perfect casting: he even resembles a young Ian Holm. However, I do not believe that THE HOBBIT will turn out to be worthwhile. The LOTR trilogy is aging TERRIBLY, and there's been so much production confusion on this one that it seems unlikely to emerge without severe birth trauma.
PS: THE VERIFICATION SYSTEM SUCKS AND THIS IS MY 12TH ATTEMPT.
He's very good in Sherlock, also.
12 attempts for that comment?
aging terribly?
severe birth trauma?
you suck.
11th time was the charm for me.
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