Jackson: 'Hobbit starts casting this week'
Casting on Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro's adaptation of The Hobbit will begin this week.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Jackson revealed that producers are recruiting for every role in the movie with the exception of wizard Gandalf, who will again be played by Lord Of The Rings star Sir Ian McKellen.
"We're auditioning for every role," Jackson said, noting that he is looking to unearth new stars for the fantasy film. "What we've done over the years is discover a lot of interesting actors, like Orlando Bloom, Kate Winslet, Saoirse Ronan. So if you start looking and auditioning seriously, it's amazing what incredible talent you'll find out there."
Jackson added that, contrary to rumours, production on the two-part JRR Tolkien adaptation has not been delayed.
"We were always planning to shoot around April or May next year, and as far as I'm aware, we're pretty much on target for that," he explained. "It depends on how quickly the studio greenlights the film. It's not in our hands. But as long as we're shooting next year, we're fine."
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