It’s not every day that you get a chance to ask a major Hollywood director questions face-to-face.  Well, you’re still not going to, but Shawn over at MTV is getting the chance to speak with future Hobbit director and Pan’s Labyrinth mastermind Guillermo Del Toro next week, and he wants you to submit questions for him to ask!

So, think of some real gems, and pop over HERE to submit your questions.

We just want to hear some casting news!  Come on, Guillermo… give us a hint?

A few weeks ago a British tabloid suggested that Jack Black, Daniel Radcliffe and James McAvoy were in the running to play Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit, and being the douchebags they are people fell for it even though Guillermo del Toro said that casting wouldn’t be revealed until next year. Then an even bigger douchebag reporter asked Jack Black if it were true. He replied by thwacking them across the face and shouting “STOP BEING A DOUCHEBAG OF COURSE ITS NOT TRUE”.

People should learn that if a British tabloid is reporting that Harry Potter will play Bilbo Baggins, then the other names they suggest in the same sentence are probably bullcrap too. However, because people liked the suggestion of James McAvoy they stuck with it, and now McAvoy himself has denied the rumours:

“it’s not true by the way, it’s all internet rumoring and nothing else I’m afraid. Sorry.”

Moral of the story: Don’t believe British tabloids. I should know, I’m British.
Second Moral of the story: Just because you like what a British tabloid spews out doesn’t make it true!

He may be 86 years old but he still has six movies on the way and could be adding another one (or two). Christopher Lee spoke to Empire about Saruman returning for The Hobbit prequels. Although Saruman doesnt appear in the book, there is the second film which Del Toro and Jackson will be writing to bridge the gap between The Hobbit and the first Lord of the Rings movie.

“I’ve read the books time and again,” said the 86-year-old. “Originally Saruman The White and the rest of the wizards, or the Istari as they call them, were immortal. There were five of them, two of them never appear, I know their names but they never appear, and the only three that are mentioned are Saruman The White, Gandalf The Grey and Radagast The Brown who you never see – so basically it’s two wizards.

“They lived for thousands of years and they were sent to the earth and they are virtually immortal. When it all started, Saruman was the noblest, the finest, the bravest, the most dependable and reliable of them all, he was number one. But somewhere, somehow, and it was never actually explained, he turns and it’s probably the Palantír (the wizard’s crystal ball thingy) that makes Saruman realise that if Sauron can do this, why can’t I do it and Saruman wants to become The Lord Of The Rings himself.”

“I’d be interested in seeing how that transition from good to evil occurred and, yes, of course I would return to the role if I was asked.”

You can tell Lee has read the trilogy every year for the past five decades can’t you?

I suppose it would be quite cool to see Saruman’s decent into darkness. What do you think?

…well they didn’t actually say his name, but its pretty obvious! (I think)

Guillermo del Toro spoke to Empire magazine recently and revealed that both him and Peter Jackson have mutually agreed on their choice for who should step into the shoes of Ian Holm and lead the film as Bilbo Baggins.

“I can tell you that it’s down to a few names that we all agree upon. And that our first choice…completely, magically, we said the same name. All of us!”

“We said this is the guy we would talk to, but until the pages are there you have to let the character tell you who he wants to be played by…”

The reasons I want and think Martin Freeman should play Bilbo are:
A) He looks like a Hobbit (no offence to him)
B) He looks like Ian Holm
C) He auditioned for the villain role in Jackson’s upcoming drama The Lovely Bones but ultimately lost out to Stanley Tucci, therefore Peter Jackson does know of his existence.

Everyone across the internet thinks that Martian Freeman would make a perfect Bilbo Baggins, so if Peter and Guillermo have someone else in mind then he must be even better than Freeman, which will be tough. Maybe there is someone we haven’t noticed yet. However, we wont find out who they have in mind as according to Guillermo:

“You can expect at least a year before we announce any casting.”

This is just a reminder informing you that The Hobbit chat with Peter Jackson And Guillermo del Toro will be taking place in a matter of hours.

Los Angeles (Pacific) Saturday 24 May 1 pm
New York (Eastern) Saturday 24 May 4 pm
London Saturday 24 May 9 pm
Paris, Berlin, Rome Saturday 24 May 10 pm
Sydney Sunday 25 May 6 am
Wellington, Auckland Sunday 25 May 8 am

Register now to make sure you don’t miss out!

We’ve heard from Ian McKellen, he’s on board. Elijah Wood said he would return if needed, as did Cate Blanchett and Andy Serkis. Among the rest of that cast we haven’t heard from is Liv Tyler, who played elf Arwen in the Lord of the Rings. Would she return to play her character in the upcoming Hobbit films? IGN spoke to her while she was promoting The Strangers.

“Somebody just said to me, ‘Has your agent called Peter Jackson yet?’” laughs the actress. “And I was like, ‘Whoa. What are you talking about?’ [The reporter] was so aggressive. It’s so funny the way people think and see [these things]. Someone just told me now that [director] Guillermo del Toro was doing it and that they’re going to split it into two films, which will be The Hobbit plus some sort of a bridge to The Lord of the Rings. As far as I know, Arwen and Aragorn are not in The Hobbit, or definitely aren’t in it. But I don’t know yet.”

While Tyler points out that Arwen does not show up in the book version of The Hobbit, the so-called bridge film could be another matter altogether.

“It’s very interesting and I guess I should try to find out,” she says. “I’m curious because there were all those other books like The Silmarillion. And the appendix, that’s where they got the whole idea for my part, just from the appendix. There’s so much other amazing stuff.”

She says she is definitely onboard for a return appearance if del Toro and producer Peter Jackson invite her.

“Oh, are you kidding?” she says when asked. “In a heartbeat! I’ll buy my own ticket and be on the plane in a second. I mean, that was a magical experience and it was just a once in a lifetime, amazing [thing]. Because it was so like… we knew and we didn’t know that it was sort of something that had never been done before, and there was this feeling that was really gung-ho. Like, ‘O.K., let’s go off together!’ And we just rolled our sleeves up. It really was this amazing, crazy, special thing.”

Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro invite you to a live internet chat about The Hobbit on May 24 (May 25 in Australia/NZ). Peter and Guillermo would love to answer your questions and hear your comments about our new adventure into Middle-Earth. Please register now to make sure you don’t miss out on the Unexpected Party and get regular updates on the movies! Follow the registration link for instructions on submitting a question.

Weta are excited to be hosting this one-hour live online chat on our website WetaNZ.Com. Please check the start time for your time zone below:

Los Angeles (Pacific) Saturday 24 May 1 pm
New York (Eastern) Saturday 24 May 4 pm
London Saturday 24 May 9 pm
Paris, Berlin, Rome Saturday 24 May 10 pm
SydneySunday 25 May 6 am
Wellington, Auckland Sunday 25 May 8 am

See you at the Unexpected Party!

“They can dredge up old cadavers in my closet. I’m not running for president. I’m a f—ing filmmaker!”

-Guillermo Del Toro on the resurfacing of a 2006 interview where he said he was not a fan of heroic fantasy

So Sir Ian McKellen will be putting on the robe yet again in The Hobbit. However, it has been more than 5 years since he last played the wizard. Will be be able to get back into the ‘Gandalf zone’?

Luckily, Ian McKellen gave some vital information on TV about how to prepare for the role. All he has to do is watch this back and he is sorted!

Great news for Lord of The Rings fans! Although it was assumed Ian McKellen would be picking up his staff once again for The Hobbit, it has now been confirmed by the good man himself. The same mouth that bellowed the words ‘You shall not pass!’, spoke to Empire at the Speed Racer premiere in London. (Imagine that, Gandalf watching Speed Racer)

“Yes, it’s true,” he said. “I spoke to Guillermo in the very room that Peter Jackson offered me the part and he confirmed that I would be reprising the role. Obviously, it’s not a part that you turn down, I loved playing Gandalf.”

So he’s happy to be back in the robes again?

“We talk occasionally and he’s looking forward to coming out of retirement, yes,” he said. “Guillermo will be getting around to starting the script in about six weeks when he’s finished filming Hellboy 2.”

The major question on everybody’s lips is what are they going to do with the second film, which takes place directly after The Hobbit and before Fellowship of the Ring?

“Well I’ve read The Hobbit so I’ve got a good idea of what the story would be,” said McKellen. “But as to how it’s going to work over two films and what going to happen on screen, well Guillermo has not got down to working out the major details yet – I can tell you it’s going to be amazing though.”

McKellen also spoke about the Magneto movie which may be on the cards.

“They are making a Magneto spin-off but I don’t think it will involve me because it’s about the younger Magneto, it’s a back-story.”

But surely with the anti-aging special effects employed in the third X-Men film he could well reprise the role, at least for a cameo?

“Would I be willing to return to play a young Magneto? A cameo in my own movie? I don’t think so,” he said. “I don’t think I could get away with playing a 19-year-old.”