The Hobbit - The Movie: Speculation and Discussion

[marbretherese]

I don't see why not. Apparently it was the casting company at fault, and PJ & co were horrified at the idea that people were being told they were too dark-skinned to be hobbits.

[Iolanthe]

I saw all of that. I don't see why not either, as long as they generally have the right look. The Hobbits were a varied bunch, after all! I think the casting director was being over concientious about what he thought they should be like.

It looks like Ron Perlman is out of The Hobbit because of the constant schedule changes . I would have loved to have seen his Beorn.

[Lindariel]

WAAAAAAAaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh! Ron Perlman would have been PERFECT as Beorn. I'm CRUSHED!! Has there been a casting announcement about who WILL be playing Beorn? I holding onto the hope that Beorn won't appear until the second movie, and that maybe, MAYBE, Ron Perlman would be able to free up time for this role. He'd be "so AWESOME," as Meliel would put it.

[Iolanthe]

They haven't said anything officially about Beorn yet. I can't imagine who it would be if it isn't Ron .

I see MGM has finally had the go ahead to move forward:

The Los Angeles Times

At last...

[Merry]

How about somebody like Eric Bana?

I'm going to play devil's advocate and argue for a more exclusive look for the actors who are going to play both hobbits and elves. (I can actually see both sides of this issue, but I thought I'd argue on one side of it here.) If they have hobbits who are very dark skinned, I'm afraid it would take me out of the story. I'd begin thinking something like, 'Oh, PJ has decided to be politically correct. I wonder why they've decided that? What would Tolkien have thought about that? I wonder if there are laws about this kind of thing in New Zealand? How did they evade those laws in LOTR? etc. etc.' And I think it's not good to take viewers outside of the story in a movie.

Clearly in most modern movies, it matters what kind of actors play many roles, especially ones in which race is a central theme. Although it has been important for movies to stretch our racial stereotypes--think about what Sidney Poitier's roles have done for our racial consciousness--I want that to be done very thoughtfully rather than out of pure political correctness.

[marbretherese]

Eric Bana - yes please!!!

I don't think a dark-skinned hobbit would take me out of the story - provided he or she had the correct feet, of course!! But I must admit that a dark-skinned elf might. Having said that, I was taken out of the story several times during LOTR (usually by bad CGI or when something didn't match the book) and it didn't spoil it for me!

[Iolanthe]

I'd third Eric Bana, but there may be another contender.

TheOneRing.net reports that Swedish actor Mikael Persbrandt has been cast in an unknown role. They also, thanks to TORn member Indil, have a translation of the Swedish article.

Indiewire.com seem to think he's up for Beorn, and I must admit I thought so too when I read the description. Can't imagine where else Nordic would apply .

[Merry]

I guess I'm not entirely sure what they mean by 'nordic', but that could be a dwarf, too, couldn't it? I can't remember now, but has Balin been cast yet? This actor looks like he could play that role.

marbretherese, I agree that the jarring notes in LOTR didn't spoil the movies for me, either, but I wish they had not been there nonetheless! Your comments remind me that there was a Dark Elf in The Silmarillion and that Tolkien himself has sometimes been accused of racism in his depictions.

[Lindariel]

Merry, Tolkien's appellation of the term "Dark" to some elves does not refer to skin color, but to the fact that they never saw the light of the Trees in Aman. I refer you to this definition from The Encyclopedia of Arda:

Dark Elves: The Moriquendi, those Elves who refused the summons of the Valar to Valinor, or fell away on the Great Journey, and never saw the light of the Two Trees.

Eol was called "The Dark Elf" for two reasons: (1) he was a kinsman of Elu Thingol and, like Thingol, never traveled to Aman. Also (2) when the Girdle of Melian was placed around Doriath, he forsook his native land a went to live in the "dark" forest of Nan Elmoth to the East. Neither have to do with the color of his skin.

[Merry]

Thanks for the clarification, Lindariel--it all comes back in my memory now! But I have always pictured him as dark-haired. (And now we can go back to the old question of whether or not Legolas is blond!)

[Lindariel]

Merry, here's another reason for Eol to be called the "Dark Elf." From The Silmarillion, "Of Maeglin":

" . . . he [Eol] devised a metal as hard as the steel of the Dwarves, but so malleable that he could make it thin and supple; and yet it remained resistant to all blades and darts. He named it galvorn, for it was black and shining like jet, and he was clad in it whenever he went abroad."

His son Maeglin is described as being like the Noldor (his mother's kin) in face and form, but otherwise like his father. He is also described as being "tall and black-haired" with dark eyes. I think from this we can assume that Eol also had black hair.

[Merry]

More casting news, and finally, Balin is cast!

http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2010/12 ... more-41135

[Iolanthe]

And it looks as though there will be plenty of Olando in it:

Cinemablend.com

and a very interesting article about the way the film and casting is shaping up from The Guardian Movie Blog.

[Merry]

I suppose it makes sense that Legolas would lead the elves into battle. It will be nice to see him again! and we can suppose that Orlando's acting skills will have improved over the years.

[Iolanthe]

There is always hope .

I wonder what they will have him sliding down this time, waving his bow . At least he can't slide down Smaug's neck!