Update: Martin Freeman Set To Play Bilbo Baggins, James Nesbitt Offered Role And Michael Fassbender & David Tennant Being Pursued For 'The Hobbit'

Update: James Nesbitt has reportedly been offered the role of Bofur, one of three dwarves -- along with Bifur and Bombur -- who join Bilbo Baggins and Thorin Oakenshield on their quest. Oakenshield was, of course, the role being linked to the likes of Australian veteran actor Jack Thompson and Brian Cox.

After months and months of speculation and innuendo, it's taken a mere few hours after being greenlit for word about casting to spill for Peter Jackson's much troubled, long anticipated adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit."

Deadline are reporting that British television star Martin Freeman ("The Office," "Sherlock") is set to take up the iconic role of Bilbo Baggins with James Nesbitt already offered an unnamed role and Michael Fassbender and David Tennant currently begin pursued. The cast is also expected to see Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis return to their original roles as Gandalf and Gollum.

Freeman has been long linked to the role and, most recently, rued the missed opportunity to take on Baggins due to scheduling conflicts with his BBC modern reimagining of the 'Sherlock Holmes' tale. It seems like those very conflicts are being worked out however, freeing the actor up for the no doubt life changing role.

Nesbitt, on the other hand, has already reportedly received an offer to join the film in an unnamed role while Tennant -- who saw rumors linking him with the part of Bilbo for years -- may eventually join the project in another role, should the reported initial interest come through. The actor is slowly finding his way across the Atlantic after playing the iconic titular character in "Doctor Who" for years, and will be seen in Craig Gillespie's "Fright Night" remake next year.

Fassbender has already been fast tracking his way to Hollywood stardom after groundbreaking roles in "Hunger," "Fish Tank" and "Inglourious Basterds" but joining "The Hobbit" would definitely take him to the next level. But like Tennant, whether the early interest follows through remains to be seen. Either way, an exciting future lies ahead for the actor, who'll soon be seen starring in Cary Fukunaga's "Jane Eyre" along side Mia Wasikowska, David Cronenberg's "A Dangerous Method" with former Middle Earther Viggo Mortensen and Matthew Vaughn's star-studded "X-Men: First Class."

News of the casting developments came almost immediately after the project finally earned the greenlight from the studio (via a deal between Warner Bros. and MGM), firming February 2011 as the start date with Peter Jackson officially at the helm and gunning for a Christmas 2012 and 2013 3D release date. And despite the recent production troubles Jackson has faced with the New Zealand unions over working conditions, a resolution is expected in the next week or two, with Warner Bros. already making plans to move the production if required. Any significant plan change like that, though, will likely throw another curveball at the already troubled production; hopefully Jackson and New Zealand film authorities can settle their differences.

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Deal For Peter Jackson To Direct 'The Hobbit' Locked Up, Film Gets Greenlight

Yeah, we know many have cried wolf on this project numerous times but with NY Times reporting that Peter Jackson's deal to direct "The Hobbit" has been locked up and The Wrap reporting the film is greenlit, we think this news is legit.

According to both sites, Warner Bros. and MGM have worked out a deal to finance the two $500 million (that's $250 million each which is not absurd for a tentpole) films and a start date of February 2011 has been lined up. Peter Jackson will direct the films, though casting has not been confirmed, nor has the location of the shoot. As you might recall, the filmmakers are still in an ugly spat with local New Zealand unions over working conditions and a resolution is still a week away, if not longer. Warner Bros. is actively considering other locations to move the production if an agreement can't be worked out. However, according to the NY Times, if the production is moved out of the country further delays are to be expected and the budget will need to be redrafted (probably adding a few more million to the tally). So here's hoping this already plagued production doesn't face any more hurdles.

Besides the union situation, MGM is still finalizing their bankruptcy proceedings that will either see Spyglass heads Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum take over management, or find MGM merging with Lionsgate. Lost in all of this? Current MGM head Mary Parent is negotiating her exit from the beleaguered studio.

At any rate we do hope this greenlight is the real deal and the film can start moving with more ease towards production. Middle Earthers get ready because the first film is projected to hit in December 2012 with the second part coming in 2013. And note while it's probably not concrete info, THR does say that Martin Freeman is "expected" to take the role of Bilbo Baggins, so maybe the BBC "Sherlock Holmes" scheduling situation is being worked out as we speak.

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That's What They Said Last Week: Resolution On 'The Hobbit' Union Woes At Least A Week Away (If Not More)

Remember at the beginning of the month when reports surfaced a greenlight for "The Hobbit" was just days away and that the bankruptcy and union issues surrounding the film were said to be close to being tied up? Well, that was two weeks ago and with Peter Jackson recently telling Empire that he's still not officially signed on and that the project still faces myriad steps to get it out of MGM's bankruptcy hell, he quickly shut down any premature reports that the film was imminently ready to go.

In fact, not only are MGM's financial woes a major issue, the union spat is still at least a week away from being sorted out. The Screen Production and Development Association (SPADA), Actors' Equity, and Council of Trade Unions (CTU) met recently to try and come to a common ground regarding working conditions.

"The parties believe this process will help to ensure New Zealand remains an attractive screen production environment," said Gerry Brownlee, New Zealand's Minister for Economic Development.

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Martin Freeman Still Not Sure He'll Star In 'The Hobbit'; Signs On To Co-Star In 'Animals'

Speaking to Empire this weekend, British actor Martin Freeman confirmed that he turned down the chance to star in "The Hobbit" as Bilbo Baggins, the role inhabited by Ian Holm in the original "The Lord of The Rings" trilogy.

"I did have to say no to it for the second series of 'Sherlock,' " he said. "If something could be worked out, that would be great, but yeah, I [turned it down] with a heavy heart, definitely."

But despite reports that said Peter Jackson's somewhat troubled production would try and work around his busy BBC TV "Sherlock Holmes" schedule, Freeman wasn't exactly sounding incredibly optimistic. "I’d like to think [I could appear in it]. If there is any outside possibility, then that would be great," he said of the new January shooting schedule. "But I’ve learned not to think too much or hope too much about stuff. It will happen if it happens."

Still, the actor, who is 39 thinks he's a good age for the role. "Absolutely, because Bilbo isn’t 20 at this stage of the story," he said, "and I reckon I could do a young Ian Holm. I think I could give that a go."

Meanwhile, the actor has signed on to appear in co-star in "Animals," a fantasy-laced coming-of-age tale and the feature-length debut of Catalan director Marcal Fores. The picture is described as " 'Donnie Darko' meets Gus Van Sant," but fans still holding out hope for "The Hobbit" shouldn't worry, it's basically about to start shooting and shouldn't interfere with a production that starts in 2011.

The film is full of Spanish talent and a film crew that comes from Escac, the Barcelona film school that spawned the careers of Juan Antonio Bayona ("The Impossible," "The Orphanage") and Guillem Morales ("Julia's Eyes"). Cinematographer Eduard Grau ("Buried," "A Single Man") is on board, as is editor Bernat Vilaplana ("Pan's Labyrinth," "Hellboy II: The Golden Army").

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"Toldja"? Peter Jackson Says 'Hobbit' Not Greenlit, Not Officially Committed Yet As Director

One of the more comical movie-web incidents this weekend was watching Deadline on the topic of "The Hobbit." The site has broken countless stories this week that alone warrant enough bragging rights for months, but for some reason felt the need to childishly "toldja!" chest-puff about "The Hobbit," mostly because the NY and L.A. Times both advanced the story they had originally broke (NY Times noted the film would be shot in 3D, the LAT noted that Jackson's deal was almost done).

Deadline basically pooh-poohed both reports and whined, "we basically told you all this first" and mocked the "breathless reports." Doubly comical was watching other Internet reports take the Deadlines piece as some sort of official word of god that Peter Jackson's directing deal with the picture was signed, sealed and delivered. Well, it's not. And while the MGM/Spyglass situation is resolving itself as we speak — and therefore paving the way for "The Hobbit" to move forward — and Jackson will more than likely complete his deal to helm the two (allegedly $500-million-costing) films, that deal is not done and nowhere in the Deadline cry-a-river piece did it say that.

Jackson himself has essentially confirmed all this in a interview with Empire.

“We haven’t got a greenlight yet. We’re still waiting. Things still seem to be inching closer to some sort of happy place. I keep hearing that so many times now I’ve stopped tuning into it. We’ve seen these reports before, reports saying there was going to be a greenlight in a couple of days — well, a week’s gone by and there isn’t one. You can’t believe everything you read. There is only one thing you want to believe and that’s when the studio announces a greenlight. As far as I’m aware that’s not going to be today. I keep hearing positive things. Everyone’s working very hard. There’s a lot of people at Warner Bros. who are working around the clock trying to maneuver through the MGM complexities. MGM is a company that is about to go bankrupt and in a way they are about to take 'The Hobbit' into bankruptcy hell with them when they go down. Warners are trying to extract The Hobbit out of the bankruptcy hell before it happens. It is just so complicated I can’t even put my head into it. It’s all to do with American copyright laws, bankruptcy laws. A lot of Warner Bros. lawyers are working round the clock at the moment trying to make it happen so let’s see."

Toldja, huh? Yes, all of this is likely going to resolve itself, but egg on all your faces for being d-bags about it. Meanwhile, yes, Jackson still has a passion for all things Hobbiton, but noted he's currently not officially the director yet.

"Oh yeah, for sure. I’m certainly happy to be involved. At the moment, I’m a writer and a producer on it. We’ll see. Warner Bros. have been very, very good, very loyal and very supportive and I want to do what’s right for them first and foremost because I’ve got a responsibility to look after their investment. And it’s also something I am actually excited about so we’ll see what happens. I’ve learnt never to get that excited until something is greenlit because there is a moment when you commit emotionally to a project and you give everything, your heart and soul. At that point, once you’ve done that and it doesn’t happen, it’s the most horrible thing in the world outside of stuff with your family. It’s the worst experience ever, to have a film fall over that you’ve committed 100% to. I always just protect myself and don’t fully commit until I know for sure that it’s happening. Then it gets my 100% commitment.”

See you in 2012 (or next week when we hear more casting rumors).

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Canada, Australia, Scotland, Ireland & U.S. All Trying To Land 'The Hobbit' If It Moves From New Zealand

As "The Hobbit" inches closer towards a seemingly inevitable greenlight, it still faces its biggest hurdle yet, a demand from New Zealand unions for an agreement on wages and working conditions. The situation quickly got ugly with both Peter Jackson and the studios -- Warner Bros., MGM and New Line -- threatening to move the production from its long standing home. Well, speaking to New Zealand radio on Monday, "The Hobbit" co-writer and co-producer Philippa Boyens has indicated overtures have already come from other nations to host the production.

"Warner Brothers' studios are running the numbers on five to six different locations," Boyen said. "That's very real and that has put at risk the livelihoods of countless thousands of New Zealand industry workers."

"The dispute over job security and working conditions, in which New Zealand film workers have been backed by actors' unions in Canada, Australia and elsewhere, has thrown doubt on how stable our industry is in terms of industrial relations," Boyens said. "That is what is being put in jeopardy, not whether the production goes forward, but whether it's made here."

It certainly seems that the threats from both the director and studio were far from empty, so what nations are said to be in the running? Canada, Australia, Scotland, Ireland and the United States have all apparently thrown their hat in the ring, and offering producers money-saving incentives, to the bring $500 million, 3D production to their shores. Also remember that Jackson initially hinted at eastern Europe being a possible location -- it has emerged as a place to shoot action films on the cheap over the past few years -- and it's unknown at this time just which locations in particular Warner Bros. accountants are running numbers on at this time.

That said, earlier in the week, everyone involved seemed hopeful that a resolution for the union mess would be found, and certainly Warner Bros. would probably prefer not to have to spend millions to move/rebuild the nearly completed sets to another country entirely. But at this point, Warner Bros. are probably taking precautions and setting up some possible second and third options should they have to exercise it. It's another intriguing twist to the saga of "The Hobbit" that continues to unfurl even before the film gets in front of cameras. [The Province]

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Deal For Peter Jackson To Direct 'The Hobbit' Rumored To Be Close To Final

We know, we know. The ongoing saga of "The Hobbit" is getting tiring, but the long-gestating and endlessly delayed project seems closer than ever to actually moving forward and following reports late last week that the film was nearing a greenlight it makes sense that a deal for Peter Jackson to direct is close to being done.

The Wrap reports that the big issues of Peter Jackson’s directing fee and percentage of the gross for the film have been settled with a few more minor details still hanging. Essentially, the major sticking points have been cleared and the contract is all but signed on the dotted line. As for the imminent greenlight, according to an insider who spoke to The Wrap it might be a bit further off. “I wouldn’t stake my life that it will happen in the next two weeks,” they said.

The studios are obviously eager to get things rolling. $30 million has already been spent on pre-production, a cast is on hold, a tentative release date of December 19, 2012 is set but there is that pesky union issue that still needs to be ironed out. And of course, none of this can happen until Spyglass chiefs Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum finalize the deal to take over the management of MGM.

So, "The Hobbit" continues to inch closer and closer to finally getting underway. Here's hoping that nothing else gets in the way of the production that has faced a director change, studio bankruptcy, union trouble and even a fire.

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'The Hobbit' Rumored To Be Going 3D; New Zealand Government Offers To Mediate Union Spat

Remember earlier this summer when fans cheered during the TheOneRing's Comic Con panel when they announced that the upcoming "The Hobbit" films wouldn't be in 3D? It turns out the celebrations might have been premature.

According to the NY Times, as part of the behind-the-scenes dealmaking to get the film made, it looks like the 3D format is back on the table. The format has long been in discussions, with original director Guillermo Del Toro not particularly hot on the idea. However, with a pricetag of $500 million dollars, its no surprise that Warner Bros., New Line and MGM would be pushing for the format if only because it means revenues will get a slight boost thanks to inflated ticket prices. At this point we're too exhausted to care which direction they go in — Peter Jackson could make it a black-and-white 16mm silent comedy for all we care — we just want this film to finally get in front of cameras.

As for the nasty union spat that unfurled last week, that saw both Peter Jackson and the studios threatening to move the production away from New Zealand, the country's government has stepped in to try and help. Government ministers are eager to help resolve the dispute, save jobs and keep the production and the economic boost it brings in the country.

Prime Minister John Key said, "I would be greatly concerned if the Hobbit movies weren't made in New Zealand, this a $3 billion industry, it employs a lot of people, it's great for New Zealand, it's a great way for marketing New Zealand. If you can't make the Hobbit here frankly what movies are you going to make here?"

Meetings are beginning to take place — Council of Trade Unions president Helen Kelly has already met with Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh — and everyone involved is "hopeful" a solution will be found. Rumors circled late last week that the situation may already be close to being dealt with, as an official studio greenlight is apparently just days away.

Meanwhile, "The Hobbit" as cursed sentiment gained uninspired traction this weekend when news of a fire broke out in Jackson's Portsmouth Miniatures Studio which would have been used for the two films. Considering a green light seems imminent, talk of a "curse" seems more than a little hyperbolic. These guys even went so far as to openly speculate that "union thugs" burned down the place. And while it is one of many aggravating set-backs, it doesn't at all seem like the crisis many are making it out to be.

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'The Hobbit' Rumored To Get An Official Studio Greenlight Within The Next Few Days

Facing insurmountable odds, the LA Times reports that "The Hobbit" is only days away from getting an official green light to begin production from Warner Bros., New Line and MGM.

According to their sources, Peter Jackson is close to finalizing a deal that will see him direct both films in the two-part set, overseeing a production that will cost an estimated $500 million. Both parts will be shot together and the first film is being tentatively slated for a holiday 2012 release, with part two arriving in December 2013. But before you get too excited, the project still faces a few hurdles it will have to jump even if the switch is flipped.

First of all, MGM is bankrupt, and while they are said to be close to reaching an agreement with the over 100 debtors they owe money to, the project will need to find half of its financing. Spyglass Entertainment chiefs Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum, who are widely expected to be taking over management duties at MGM, will have Barber approaching potential investors including 20th Century Fox or Warner Bros. themselves to put up the rest of the budget. Warner Bros. may potentially throw in additional funds in exchange for additional distribution rights in various territories.

As for the very public, and ugly, union battle? The LA Times says that the situation is close to being resolved and even some lingering rights issues with the Tolkien Estate are said to have been cleaned up to allow everything to move forward without delay.

All that said, January is the magic date that filming will need to begin. If it doesn't start in the first quarter of 2011, the project will most likely be delayed again, and we would imagine, Peter Jackson, who has stoically stood by the film in its darkest hours, would probably move on.

There are a lot of little gears that need to be oiled for the machinery on "The Hobbit" to get rolling, but it looks like the once creaking project is bubbling back to life. As we reported this summer, Jackson has already quietly been taking meetings and watching tapes and we would guess he already has his talent selected and agents will be ready to sign deals once production is given the thumbs up. Sylvester McCoy and Martin Freeman have already been strongly rumored to be joining the cast.

So, hope is still alive, Middle Earthers. Not all is lost yet on "The Hobbit."

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Warner Bros, New Line & MGM Respond To Unions Over 'The Hobbit,' Threaten To Move Production From New Zealand

This is now officially getting ugly. With things finally getting in place for the troubled "The Hobbit" to start shooting in January, late last week the Screen Actors Guild officially notified their members not to accept any jobs on what they are calling a non-union shoot. Over the weekend Peter Jackson personally responded to the charges pointing out the NZ Actor's Equity who are leading the charge only represent, at best, 10% of the actors on the island but also that plans to try and negotiate minimum guarantees go directly against New Zealand's labor law which "prohibits engaging in collective bargaining with any labour organization representing performers who are independent contractors."

The studios — Warner Bros., New Line Cinema and MGM — have now thrown down the gauntlet, and are echoing the sentiments shown by Jackson. In a statement released to the press, the studios take issue with the production being called "non-union" revealing that they do have collective bargaining agreements in place and underscore that "the fact remains that there cannot be any collective bargaining with MEAA on this New Zealand production, for to do so would expose the production to liability and sanctions under New Zealand law."

And in what may be a final blow to the New Zealand film industry, the studios aren't going to wait around to see who blinks first revealing "it is our general policy to avoid filming in locations where there is potential for work force uncertainty or other forms of instability. As such, we are exploring all alternative options in order to protect our business interests."

And while it may be massively expensive to move the production off the island of New Zealand, where sets are more or less completed and ready to go, it will probably be more costly to begin production only to face numerous work stoppages or disruptions. We're guessing at this point, everyone is willing to spend a few more million to make sure that filming can get underway with no issues once MGM get their house in order.

But no one looks good in this, though in our opinion, the SAG are coming off as bullies so far. It will be interesting to see how this plays out and if the production really does move from Jackson's home base of New Zealand, if that will affect his decision to direct the films. But with everyone planting their flags firmly in the ground, it doesn't look like an issue that will go away quietly. [Variety]

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SAG Tells Its Members Not To Work On 'The Hobbit,' Peter Jackson Threatens To Move Production To Eastern Europe

Just as MGM is looking more likely to have found a way out of its financial quagmire, yet another hurdle has been thrown up in the long delayed/gestating production of "The Hobbit."

On Friday afternoon, the Screen Actors Guild sent out an alert advising members not to accept work on the supposedly "non-union" production of "The Hobbit." The move comes in the wake of the FIA (The International Federation Of Actors) responding to New Zealand Actors' Equity and its umbrella The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance who are trying negotiate minimum guarantees on wages, working conditions, residual payments and cancellation payments for all actors involved with the potential film.

By Sunday, Peter Jackson had responded by way of a lengthy 1800 word statement. In essence, Jackson believes that the move is a power grab by the MEAA and moreover, that the New Zealand Actor's Equity who are supposedly fighting for the rights of Kiwi actors, actually only has a membership of roughly 100 members on an island of nearly 2000 thespians. In Jackson's eyes, this broad move is nothing more than a hijacking of his film to further whatever agendas both the MEAA and NZ Actor's Equity have. Jackson is angered that this relatively small group (who are technically, not even registered as a union) is potentially in a position to seriously disrupt work on the film (and cost numerous jobs) and he hints that if the issue continues to be pushed, "The Hobbit" will move production to Eastern Europe, but more importantly, future high profile films will be discouraged from shooting in New Zealand.

So what happens next? On Tuesday, the NZ Actors' Equity is calling a meeting of actors on try and bring the studio and filmmakers to the negotiating table. But as Jackson notes, it's not just as easy as everyone agreeing on a number as New Zealand's labor laws also complicate matters as the "law prohibits engaging in collective bargaining with any labour organization representing performers who are independent contractors."

Needless to say, bloggers will be getting a crash course in international labor law after spending a year getting to know the ins and outs of bankruptcy proceedings. It will be interesting to see how this plays out and if Jackson (whose statement was prepped and delivered without consulting Warner Bros. or New Line Cinema) really will pick up and leave New Zealand to finally get this film made.

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'Batman 3' Awaiting Green Light & So Is 'The Hobbit' (But They're Casting Anyway)

Speaking in Italy where "Inception" only recently hit theaters, Christopher Nolan dropped an intriguing little nugget about the third installment of his celebrated Batman franchise saying that the picture isn't greenlit yet, adding “They haven’t told me they don’t want to do it, so I’m hopeful,” he joked.

Variety has since scrubbed the comment from their story but Batman News snagged the remarks before they went away. Now before geeks everywhere furrow their brows, it's not at all surprising that Warner Bros. hasn't officially flipped the switch. Undoubtedly, the film is very actively in development and its likely that studio heads are waiting for a firm budget number which they won't really have until casting, locations, marketing, etc. are figured out and finalized. So, nothing to worry about, just a project that still needs to get a bit closer to the starting line.

Speaking of the starting line, "The Hobbit" seems to have been there forever and as MGM still gets debt extensions and continues in endless talks for someone to save them from their sinking financial ship, the production is still pressing forward so that if and when the studio is saved, everything will be in place to start shooting almost immediately.

With that in mind, an ad recently appeared in the Wellington Dominion Post (see above) from the Hobbit Casting Department looking for Scale Doubles. Sources confirmed that the casting is indeed for the highly anticipated film, but of course, it remains to be seen if the tentatively scheduled January start will come to fruition.

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