Martin Freeman Confirmed as Bilbo Baggins, Ian McKellen as Gandalf : The Hobbit Cast Revealed

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LOS ANGELES (GaeaTimes.com) — The cast of the much-awaited movie ‘The Hobbit’ has been unveiled today. The movie directed by Peter Jackson is anticipated as an adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy epic ‘The Hobbit’. English actor Martin Freeman will play the lead role in the movie as Bilbo Baggins.

Martin Freeman was the first choice of the director Peter Jackson to play the character of Bilbo. The Oscar winning director said,

Despite the various rumours and speculation surrounding this role, there has only ever been one Bilbo Baggins for us,

There are a few times in your career when you come across an actor who you know was born to play a role, but that was the case as soon as I met Martin.

He is intelligent, funny, surprising and brave — exactly like Bilbo.

Freeman, 39 is best known for his deadpan portrayal of Tim Canterbury in Ricky Gervais comedy “The Office”. He was also accoladed for “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, “Love Actually” and “Shaun of the Dead”.

Jackson also announced that Ian Mckellan is returning as Gandalf in this movie, while Richard Armitage will portray Thorin Oakenshield, the leader of the Company of Dwarves. Bilbo will be reluctantly recruited by Gandalf in his company.

The shooting of the movie was to take place at picturesque New Zealand, but becomes uncertain due to some industrial dispute over there.

The movie has been given green signal last Saturday and is slated to release in 3D in February 2010.