Several rumours have claimed that Peter Jackson is getting ready to announce the actor tied to role of Bilbo Baggins in the two Hobbit films to be directed by Guillermo del Toro. However, in an interview with Empire magazine, Jackson said that the announcement wouldn’t be made soon.
Word recently got out that Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), James McAvoy (Wanted) and David Tennant (Doctor Who) were the front runners to play Bilbo.
Jackson said that he and del Toro have begun to think about forming the cast. Jackson, who is the project’s executive producer, has been penning the script with the director, and the two are only halfway through the story leading up to the The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
The first film, called The Hobbit, is expected to open in December 2011, while the second one is set for the following year.
In the meantime, Peter Jackson is also involved in directing the film The Lovely Bones, starring Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz and Susan Sarandon. The film will hit theatres on December 11.