Martin Freeman must be perfect for the role, because Peter Jackson maneuvered his filming schedule to accommodate the actors other gig a role in BBC Sherlock series. Jackson filmed as many scenes that didn't include Bilbo during that span, but once that well had run dry Jackson shut down the film for several weeks til Freeman could get back to the New Zealand set.
American audiences are familiar with Freeman as he had a key role in Love Actually and the starring role in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. And now he will be taking on the role of Bilbo Baggins, which was played by Ian Holm in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. But don't worry about Ian being replaced by Martin, Ian will be making a cameo in the film.
Peter Jackson:“He is fantastic and there is simply nobody else for the job. We couldn’t find anyone who was better than him. He is simply fantastic.”
Peter Jackson:“He’s Bilbo-esque. You might not always want to say that about you, right? But seriously he has the essential features of this little English gent, this country gent who is slightly old-fashioned and has to go around in the world and try to cope with it. That’s not exactly who Martin is as a person, but as an actor he does that so well. The fish out of water with a sense of courage but also a wonderful sense of humor. The things that happen to him and the way he reacts to them — things he’s never seen in his life before as a stuffy little Hobbit — his response to it all is part of the charm. And he does have a great openness in his face.”
The Hobbit is an upcoming two-part epic fantasy film directed by Peter Jackson. It is a film adaptation of the 1937 novel of the same name by J. R. R. Tolkien and prequel to The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. Jackson, director of The Lord of the Rings, returns as director of the film and also serves as producer and co-writer. The film will star Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins and Richard Armitage, known for playing Lucas North in the BBC drama series Spooks, as Thorin Oakenshield. Several actors from Jackson's The Lord of the Rings film trilogy will reprise their roles, including Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee, Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, and Orlando Bloom. Additionally, composer Howard Shore, who wrote the score for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, has confirmed his role in both parts of the film project. The two parts, entitled The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again, are being filmed back to back and are currently in production in New Zealand; principal photography began on March 21, 2011. They are scheduled to be released on December 14, 2012 and December 13, 2013, respectively.
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