SAN DIEGO – Warner Bros. today announced what has been suspected and rumored: the studio is bringing “The Hobbit,” to the San Diego Comic-Con in a big way. Most surprising is just how big as director Peter Jackson, producer and co-screenwriter Philippa Boyens, actor and director Andy Serkis along with featured actors Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen and Richard Armitage are all expected at the Saturday, July 14 Comic-Con panel hosted by Warner Bros. The film sharing the three-hour slot with “The Hobbit,” is none other than “Hobbit” co-writer Guillermo del Toro‘s “Pacific Rim.” The director is also expected to be in attendance. TheOneRing.net’s team of 13 staffers (a lucky 13 that works nicely with the source material) will be reporting from the scene as much as possible, bringing the emotions, news, photos, video and quotes to the online audience.
The studio has been relatively quiet on the publicity front considering the budget and cultural size of the two films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” (celebrating its 75th anniversary in print this year) releasing a single trailer, a series of character photos and letting Peter Jackson’s own production diaries on his Facebook page function as pre-film publicity. That seems to be changing in a single moment as WB drops an atomic bomb of Middle-earth star power at the central event of the popular-culture calendar. Continue reading “‘Hobbit’ lineup announced for Comic-Con includes Jackson, McKellen, Serkis, Armitage, Freeman, Boyens”
As staffer Ostadan reminds us, viewers in the U.S. will have a chance to catch the second season of “Sherlock” starting Sunday on PBS. The series stars Martin Freeman, soon to be fantastically famous as Bilbo Baggins and Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular character in the series. This page will get you started on when and where you can catch it in your area. The series, generally loved by critics and audiences, is smart and funny and dramatic and is an interesting preview of the actors who will become Smaug and Bilbo and have conversations in treasure rooms. Martin was committed to the series and Peter Jackson and Warner Bros. worked the shooting schedule of the two movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” to accommodate the actor’s availability. The first film, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” is scheduled to hit theaters worldwide December 14, 2012.
Martin Freeman (Bilbo) and Aidan Turner (Kili) at today's press conference - this cast is a killer combo of wit and good looks.
“Fourteen individuals – and an ensemble.”
Today’s press conference opened with an apology from Peter Jackson, who said he couldn’t be there as he was “under a form of medical house arrest” since being hospitalised with a perforated ulcer last week.
“And to be honest, perhaps it’s just as well. These guys make me laugh so hard that I’d be in danger of popping a stitch or something,” Jackson continued in his statement.
Confirming the truth of that, the cast of 13 dwarves and one hobbit kept up a constant flow of quips and wisecracks throughout the whole press conference. We knew Martin Freeman was funny with a good script – well, he’s hilarious without one as well.
How will the cast of “The Hobbit” look together as they journey to the Lonely Mountain and encounter trouble along the way at every turn? Probably not exactly like this but IanH was kind enough to give us a glimpse of actors with digital photoshop makeup in the roles recently announced. Enjoy!
Cathy sends this in: The timing couldn’t be more perfect for the announcement of Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins. His most recent work in Sherlock will be premiering in the US this coming week on PBS. Check your local listings for Masterpiece Mystery, which typically airs on Sunday evenings, but here in Los Angeles, KCET will be airing it next Thursday evening. The first episode up is Sherlock: A Study in Pink, where we first meet Afghan war vet Dr.John Watson and his soon to be flat mate Sherlock Holmes. It’s a stunning piece of work for both actors. So for those of you who don’t yet know who Martin Freeman is, check this out and take notes.
Martin John C. Freeman (born 8 September 1971) is an English actor. He is known for his roles as Tim Canterbury in the BBC’s Golden Globe-winning comedy The Office, Arthur Dent in the film adaptation of Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and Dr. John Watson in Sherlock.
Freeman has appeared in at least 18 TV shows, 14 theatre productions, and several radio productions. His most famous role remains that of Tim Canterbury in The Office. He also appeared in the sitcom Hardware. Additionally Freeman has appeared in several films, including Sacha Baron Cohen’s Ali G Indahouse (2002) and Richard Curtis’ Love Actually (2003). As well as his various comic roles, Freeman has also appeared in serious dramatic parts. His most prominent dramatic role to date has been as Lord Shaftesbury in the 2003 BBC historical drama Charles II: The Power and The Passion. He can also be seen making a brief appearance in the first episode of the second series of This Life, helping himself to £30 from Milly and Egg’s bedside table before unknowingly swigging a mouthful of Egg’s urine from a lager can. Freeman also starred in the BBC’s television series The Robinsons. Freeman also had a cameo performance in episode 1 of Black Books.
He had a cameo in Hot Fuzz (2007), a film written by Shaun of the Dead writers Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright, and had a brief non-speaking role in Shaun of the Dead as Yvonne’s boyfriend, Declan. He is in the 2007 film The All Together written & directed by Gavin Claxton. He also appeared along side Roger Lloyd Pack, Jamie Hogarth and Christopher Mellows in the 2007 Bill Kenwright theatre production of The Last Laugh. Continue reading “Meet Your Hobbit Cast”
Cathy sends this in: The timing couldn’t be more perfect for the announcement of Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins. His most recent work in Sherlock will be premiering in the US this coming week on PBS. Check your local listings for Masterpiece Mystery, which typically airs on Sunday evenings, but here in Los Angeles, KCET will be airing it next Thursday evening. The first episode up is Sherlock: A Study in Pink, where we first meet Afghan war vet Dr.John Watson and his soon to be flat mate Sherlock Holmes. It’s a stunning piece of work for both actors. So for those of you who don’t yet know who Martin Freeman is, check this out and take notes.