Rumors of delays in production for Guillermo del Toro’s two-part film of
The Hobbit hasn't stopped the casting information from tricking in. The latest news comes from an interview between Matthew Goode and The UK Telegraph, where the
Watchmen star reveals he is one among what will be many actors to auditioned for the lead role in the film.
From the Telegraph:
"Now he’s a father, Goode doesn’t even like travelling that much. But just before we met, he’d auditioned for the role of Bilbo Baggins in Guillermo del Toro’s two-part film of The Hobbit. If he got the part, he would, he says, find it almost impossible to refuse – despite the fact that it would involve him spending several months in New Zealand."
This is rather surprising considering Goode doesn't fit the profile one would expect for the character (obvious use of CGI aside). Another quote from the Telegraph shows that Goode feels rather the same way:
"As he is the first to admit, he’s not an obvious choice – ‘Look at the size of me for Christ’s sake!’"
In Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings Trilogy, the role of an aged Bilbo Baggins was played by Ian Holm. The new film series will focus on the character's earlier adventures. So far only Ian McKellen (Gandalf the Grey), Andy Serkis (Gollum) and Hugo Weaving (Elrond) are confirmed as being a part of the cast.
Goode's live-action portrayal of Adrien Veidt/Ozymandias was as iconic a role as it gets for many comic fans. Do you believe he is capable of successfully playing this legendary part as well?