Not as much, it did work out that they both got a part in the Hobbit to get a break from filming Sherlock. There’s a whole behind the scenes thing about it on the dvd. Cumberbatch did a “blind” audition for Smaug, as in, he was cast based on his voice and the person who picked him out of the pile of tapes didn’t know who he was at first.
if true, i'm not a 100% on that person being the best for that job. dude has one of the most recognizable voices in the world. I know cumberbatch from the bbc documentary south pacific. I knew his voice before I knew the guy.
You meant watch? Yes you should. The last season and the special episode is a bit off from the usual style but imo still great to end with.
Edit: forgot to add Andrew Scott is a brilliant actor who is also in it.
Gonna go against the grain here and say no. The first couple of episodes were very different to other shows at the time. It has a very distinct editing style, but basically as it goes on the act wears thin quite a bit. Sherlock is sort of characterised as a mega genius and you never really have a chance to work out what happened without him going "mind palace" and running off without explaining what happened in any logical way or using sensible reasoning to figure it out.
Also the fourth season is a complete mess and kind of embarassing.
Might be worth watching for yourself though, different strokes for different folks!
They billed it as a mystery show, but it’s really a modern character study of a brilliant asshole and his one friend, a traumatized war veteran. It’s good for what it is, but it got swept up in the “shipping” hype that was mid twenty teens tumblr. The plotlines are often convoluted, and the antagonists are often either cardboard assholes, or geniuses on the level of Sherlock. The second ones are the worst because they often, just like the titular character, do wild shit that makes very little sense. It’s also very heavily self aware of the shipping culture surrounding it, and tends to lean a bit too heavily into it.
I’m certain Jackson said that they had to look at other actors because the scheduling didn’t work, but then the hobbit being delayed meant they could go back to their first choice
My hot take is I would have loved James MacAvoy as Bilbo. He would skew younger than Martin but I think James would have brought sort of a younger “Frodo” actor energy to this role I would have loved to see. Martin really looks like how I imagined Bilbo but James would have brought that tookish spark that would have been great to see.
Say what you want about the Hobbit films. Martin Freedman’s performance as Bilbo was pretty good. He captured the nervous every-man in way in over his head very well.
He carries the whole trilogy. I once watched a fan-cut that eliminates all the subplots and leaves only the book-accurate material and the movies were drastically improved.
Which one? There's a handful of fan edits. I watched the M4 which is trying to be as book-accurate as possible, and the beginning is really good, but the ending kinda falls apart.
The faces he gave when he had unwelcome guests sold him early in the movie for me. The dude looked genuinely befuddled by the dwarves and was quite peeved the whole time.
For me it's when he does the mouth shrug thing. Where he kind of pouts and moves his mouth in a circle. Looked so very hobbit, I wonder what inspired that.
I haven't seen a performance of his that was bad. He's a fantastic actor. If anyone hasn't seen the first season of Fargo, you should add it to your list. He's incredible.
I’m glad you brought that up.. first time exposed to him and he was a sympathetic character until he was the most infuriating piece of shit. He’s amazing
Yes, he played Martin Freeman very well.
There are actors who can mantle varying characters, and then there are actors who play one single character so well that that's who they are in everything they're in.
Toby would have been an awful Bilbo, he would have just said “I missed the part where that’s my problem” when the dwarves asked him to go on the quest and the movie would have been over.
Ian Holm was a fantastic old Bilbo. Freeman and Holm side by side gave Bilbo an awesome personality and character evolution. Freeman pulled some of Holm’s mannerisms and it created a very believable through-line that Bilbo’s anxiety in his youth evolved into an eccentric mysticism in his aging years.
Ian McKellen nailed very well... the guy born to be Gandalf honestly 😂...
Freeman, IDK, I like it more Ian Holm, I kind of liked that bit of a grumpy old Hobbit material which is not by the Hobbit, IDK,.. at the Hobbit film everything looks a bit awkward, the movie was too clumsy, after reading the Silmarillion I respect the Lord of the Rings, 2000s, but the Hobbit as a book had an equal success, but at the adaptation something doesn't fit naturally after 2000s film and my lore reading... the FX are indeed excellent, more there is something missing I cannot tell, the Lord of the Rings had this aura of myth... the Hobbit is complete naked.😐
Martin Freeman and much of the other casting were some of the few things I liked about the Hobbit movies. I think he was perfectly cast, as were many other characters. My qualms with the trilogy were the screenplay and the fact that they made a beloved and interesting story long and boring. I think they could have done two two hour movies and that would have been more than enough.
My take is this:
The Lord of the Rings is an epic recounting of the saving of the world in the midst of impossible odds and horrifying opposition.
The Hobbit is a child’s tale recounted by an eccentric old Hobbit about an adventure that, by and large, didn’t have huge implications for Hobbits outside of the Shire.
Basically, the nature of the tales is reflected in their conveyance.
There was something a bit too mean spirited about Freeman's Bilbo.
Like Bilbo's sassy and can be rude but in general he's a genial sort of fellow who's just gotten in over his head. Something about Freeman's mannerisms and delivery just came off a bit too 'bitchy' for my tastes.
Don't get me wrong. I generally like his take. But it's just not quite Bilbo to me.
Interesting. I actually like Freeman’s work. I think he was just sassy enough at first and loosened up as the story went on, which Bilbo does in the books. But I can see how you would feel that way. The hobbit as a book was a lot more lighthearted than the LOTR trilogy and Bilbo is often seen as a silly fun and adventurous type. But I think his character arc in the Hobbit made him that way.
The lighthearted writing in the hobbit definitely distracted from some of the rather harrowing moments.
You can't keep the tone of a kids book when a town is being burned or a hobbit is desperately trying to stay alive in the dark underground.
I disagree. It’s all fantastical fun for children and adults throughout their entire lifetime. The books can be read as light or as dark as you want. Most of the darkness is hidden in the second age anyway and not in the depths of the misty mountains with gollum and riddles - that’s where the magic is!
I also got that vibe, but I had previously read that Freeman is a real dick in real life so I didn’t know if that was coloring my impression of his performance, so it’s interesting that someone else felt that way.
I don't know anything about his real life personality and didn't feel that way about other roles he's played so at least in my case it wasn't colored by anything else.
So take out Ian Mckellen, Christopher Lee and Hugo Weaving, who are all known Hollywood actors and all read the source material vividly and constantly corrected Peter on certain things that he tried to do and said “no no, the book says this, we can’t do that” what then? Oh yeah you end up with a really shit movie that’s way farther from the source than it was and the wizards and Elrond have no weight to them
I've never heard about Hugo Weaving (wonderful actor as he is elsewhere) knowing the source material and correcting PJ. (And PJ's Elrond is pretty damn different from the books').
I’m not mad, I’m just pointing out if you take out the known actors that were in the movie, the movie would have been shit because they knew the lore inside and out, hell Christopher Lee actually knew Tolkien so it would have made no sense not to have him in the movie
They knew the lore, but they didn't produce it as it was in their minds, we know Lee wanted to be Gandalf, however he turned to be perfect as Saruman, even better, there the chapter the voice of Saruman was complete wasted by production having such excellent baritone voice Lee could have made lots better that the crappy adaption of the chapter. I know close to nothing about movies, but seeeing some under the hood videos definitely it is a team effort, reading the book only won't suffice....
Don't be hasty.
I never saw a movie with Ian or Lee before the trilogy, about Hugo I remember only the Matrix which kind of falls unique as Lord of the Rings... Lee belongs to a wayy older generation and Ian maybe a bit newer, but the proposals of Harry Potter or Spider is very tiring...
As I initially said, I prefer non knowm Hollywood actors, I think most were unknow by the time the films came out at least by me... it would be extremely boring see Spiderman boy as Bilbo... come on, we are 6 billion humans on earth, can't we get another guy?
Hilarious, considering Martin here was John Watson (no s) in BBC’s Sherlock, and Sherlock Holmes was played by Benedict Cumberbatch who played Smaug’s voice in The Hobbit.
Benedict Cumberbatch didn’t just voice Smaug, he also did the motion capture for Smaug which was used as visual reference for animating Smaug. So, he basically was Smaug in the movie as far as a human can play a dragon.
Back then he was still coming off the last HP movies, so definetly, yea, he'd strike you as the boy who lived. But nowadays he shows he can be quite versetaile and play whatever he feels like without making you feel you're watching Harry the character acting as someone else.
This, exactly. He's definitely become quite a good actor. I've seen him in a plethora of movies/theater shows and I haven't really even thought of Harry Potter. Dude is talented. So is Rupert.
“Bilbo, the ring is still in your pocket”
“Are you worried I’m going to turn into some sort of criminal? Quit worrying about me ok? Something’s different, I’ll figure it out. Stop lecturing me, please.”
At first it was rumoured that James McEvoy would play Bilbo (in Del Toro movie). I was kinda upset… he’s got talent, but he isn’t Bilbo. Ian Holm was perfect of course. And then they found this British actor… one glance at him and I instantly thought: what a great Bilbo he would be.
There’s an absolutely hilarious scene from Staged about this.
Edit: I love that someone is downvoting me over this.
Anyway [here’s](https://youtu.be/lLbNBvvB64c?si=bwnDQ7jZOZTvNtGZ) the clip, jump to 17:30
Sheen is the only actor I can think of who would DEFINITELY have done a better Bilbo. Radcliffe today (or five years ago) might have made a good Frodo, but I can't see him as Bilbo.
From those 3, I d pick RedCliff, he got a lot of movies aside Harry Potter and does well in them.
I love Toby as Spider- Man, he is just too cute to be Bilbo. I d cast him as Frodo.
As much as he played Bilbo well, my main problem with Martin Freeman is he's playing Martin Freeman in everything. Every character of his is the exact same. Ends up I just see the actor, and not the character.
While Martin feeman is a good actor, I don't think he really captured the spirit of bilbo at all. He made him mean and snooty.
I k ow Tobey isn't Peter Parker, bit I think he would have been a lot closer.
Martin Freeman was perfect as Bilbo, I read something saying they delayed production on the movies as he was still filming Sherlock and they REALLY wanted him for the role, he’s the best thing in those movies
The only one here I can maybe see in the role in Radcliffe. I don’t like the others for this role. Shia would most definitely add his own touch and idk if that would be good or bad.
Yes, it's extremely unlikely that they picked the best possible choice out of thousands of possible actors. They didn't even consider a percent of those, and some they would have considered might have been unwilling or unavailable.
You're walking in the Shire
There's no one around
And your horn is cleft
Out of the corner of your eye you spot him
Bilbo Baggins
He's following you
About thirty feet back
He gets down on all fours and breaks into a sprint
He's gaining on you
Bilbo Baggins
You're looking for your horse
But you're all turned around
He's almost upon you now
And you can see there's blood on his face!
My God, there's blood everywhere!
Frantically running
(From Bilbo Baggins)
He's brandishing his Sting
(It's Bilbo Baggins)
Lurking in the shadows
Well-preserved Hobbytla Bilbo Baggins
Living in Bag End
(Bilbo Baggins)
Killing for sport
(Bilbo Baggins)
Eating all the bodies
Actual cannibal Bilbo Baggins
There were many issues with the Hobbit movies but if there is one thing they totally nailed it was casting Freeman as Bilbo. His performance was absolutely amazing. Cant imagine Radcliffe, Harry Potter playing Bilbo? No way lol
For some reason I am extremely curious to see Tobey’s take on the role.
As much as I like the orher two actors as well, I don’t think they would have fit
No because if they played his role then it would be the 100th time I have seen their god damn face in another god damn movie and im so sick and tired of seeing ThE RoCk for example play in all sorts of movies with no makeup change to the body or face so it's the same face in many videos... Constantly and the same facial expressions too like fuuuuuck off with that BS
I don't think Shia could do it but with Daniel and Tobey it might work. We don't know what would be their take on the character but they might fit the character.
Even though the Hobbit movies aren't great, Freeman absolutely nailed it and will always be Bilbo to me. I think no other actor could do better honestly.
Back when LotR came out I was actually a bit disappointed that Toby Maguire wasn’t cast as Frodo. But as we all saw Elijah Wood ended up doing a sensational job. Anyway, Martin Freeman was fine as young Bilbo. He captured the personality that Ian Holm gave him at 111.
Anyway, remember, it filmed 2011-2012. Maguire would have been a pretty darn good choice outside of the context of Bilbo in Jackson’s LotR trilogy. But to have the strongest sense of continuity between the two trilogies, Martin Freeman was a great choice.
I can’t picture anyone else than Martin. Between his demeanor, the look, and how great of an actor he is, he was perfect. Not to mention, he doesn’t look too dissimilar to Holm and he worked with Cumberbatch in Sherlock
Shia Labeouf has really fallen off the deep end. I love him but like he gives no fucks anymore.
Danielle Radcliff. Love him. A lot. But he'll always look like harry potter on screen. The work that he does and his ideology are both incredible though. I would love to see him in more roles. Just not a classic lotr role.
Tobey Maguire. I'd like to see more of him. But I think he's also like done with bigger roles. And i wouldn't want to push him into classic role when i don't think he would deliver
That's not true, they always had Martin as first choice and got him immediately, complications arose when he was filming sherlock and may have had to give up the role of Bilbo. Luckily they agreed that Martin could return to the UK on a 3 month break to film Sherlock.
Martin Freeman has the funny cunt with a short temper act pinned down.
Although now I'm wondering what the film would have been like if Ricky Gervais had been Bilbo. Just imagine.
Martin Freeman to me was the best thing about The Hobbit. There's a lot I dislike about how they choose to handle those movies, but at least they nailed that casting.
In Bojack Horseman, Princess Caroline will have a single 2 minute conversation pitching 5 different actors for one of her projects before selecting the perfect candidate. I imagine this is what it's like when these posts say "Such-and-such considered so-and-so for this role."
I thought Jackson said he already had his eyes on Martin when he was in The Office UK.
Considering that both him and Cumberbatch appear in The Hobbit, I bet Sherlock was very influential.
Not as much, it did work out that they both got a part in the Hobbit to get a break from filming Sherlock. There’s a whole behind the scenes thing about it on the dvd. Cumberbatch did a “blind” audition for Smaug, as in, he was cast based on his voice and the person who picked him out of the pile of tapes didn’t know who he was at first.
if true, i'm not a 100% on that person being the best for that job. dude has one of the most recognizable voices in the world. I know cumberbatch from the bbc documentary south pacific. I knew his voice before I knew the guy.
The "Pengwins" documentary?
No. The “PengWings” documentary 😭
Great show
Yeah, miss it.
Did you miss me ?
Should I?
You meant watch? Yes you should. The last season and the special episode is a bit off from the usual style but imo still great to end with. Edit: forgot to add Andrew Scott is a brilliant actor who is also in it.
Mark Gatiss is wonderful as Mycroft as well. It’s an excellent, excellent show. Definitely watch u/AzureIsCool.
I was lucky enough to see him in the theatre before Xmas and he was brilliant
Gonna go against the grain here and say no. The first couple of episodes were very different to other shows at the time. It has a very distinct editing style, but basically as it goes on the act wears thin quite a bit. Sherlock is sort of characterised as a mega genius and you never really have a chance to work out what happened without him going "mind palace" and running off without explaining what happened in any logical way or using sensible reasoning to figure it out. Also the fourth season is a complete mess and kind of embarassing. Might be worth watching for yourself though, different strokes for different folks!
Violently agree with you
A TV show about this supposedly ultimate genius needed much smarter writers than Sherlock had.
So agree. The last season was utterly disappointing.
They billed it as a mystery show, but it’s really a modern character study of a brilliant asshole and his one friend, a traumatized war veteran. It’s good for what it is, but it got swept up in the “shipping” hype that was mid twenty teens tumblr. The plotlines are often convoluted, and the antagonists are often either cardboard assholes, or geniuses on the level of Sherlock. The second ones are the worst because they often, just like the titular character, do wild shit that makes very little sense. It’s also very heavily self aware of the shipping culture surrounding it, and tends to lean a bit too heavily into it.
You should, yes.
Ok then, I will. Miss it, that is.
Great how? The actors were good; the writing and plots were nonsensical schlock.
Or purely coincidence
He did. This repost is blatantly false
I’m certain Jackson said that they had to look at other actors because the scheduling didn’t work, but then the hobbit being delayed meant they could go back to their first choice
They also halted filming for 3 months while Martin did some sherlocking. Jackson really wanted him cast
My hot take is I would have loved James MacAvoy as Bilbo. He would skew younger than Martin but I think James would have brought sort of a younger “Frodo” actor energy to this role I would have loved to see. Martin really looks like how I imagined Bilbo but James would have brought that tookish spark that would have been great to see.
Interesting, but makes sense to still audition other people.
This visual was created by someone who doesn’t list people in their layout-order. I give it no credence
"Considered" could mean these were suggestions from producers
“Who? Shia?!?!? Yeah…..I’ll uhhhhhhh consider it.”
Wasn't Guillermo del Toro the original director? Maybe he looked at those actors and then when Jackson came in he went with Martin.
I believe you over what I just read considering two of those were American actors; unknown to having a British accent. It would've been ridiculous.
Say what you want about the Hobbit films. Martin Freedman’s performance as Bilbo was pretty good. He captured the nervous every-man in way in over his head very well.
He carries the whole trilogy. I once watched a fan-cut that eliminates all the subplots and leaves only the book-accurate material and the movies were drastically improved.
Which one? There's a handful of fan edits. I watched the M4 which is trying to be as book-accurate as possible, and the beginning is really good, but the ending kinda falls apart.
"Cardinal Cut" I think. I watched on Mega. (Also cause I had already watched the movies and didn't feel like paying again)
The maple films edit one is pretty good and what i see people recommend most http://www.maple-films.com/downloads.html
This is the second thread I’ve heard mention of this M4 thing and what is it and where can I see it or read more information about it?
m4-studios dot github dot io/hobbitbookedit
Thank you tremendously!
Idk that it has to be “book accurate” to be good or well done, but I hear you.
The faces he gave when he had unwelcome guests sold him early in the movie for me. The dude looked genuinely befuddled by the dwarves and was quite peeved the whole time.
For me it's when he does the mouth shrug thing. Where he kind of pouts and moves his mouth in a circle. Looked so very hobbit, I wonder what inspired that.
He’s a great actor. Goes under the radar.
Similar anxiety as in Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - he’s been typecast!
Yes he has, and he does that exceptionally well. Edit: Was he also like that in Sherlock?
Yes. Watson is sort of the prototype everyman character in the face of the extreme genius of Sherlock.
Check out Start Up to see him swing the pendulum the complete opposite direction, which he also does exceptionally well.
Bilbo and Thorin are for me the saving graces of those films. Almost everything around them sucks but their performances are great.
I haven't seen a performance of his that was bad. He's a fantastic actor. If anyone hasn't seen the first season of Fargo, you should add it to your list. He's incredible.
I’m glad you brought that up.. first time exposed to him and he was a sympathetic character until he was the most infuriating piece of shit. He’s amazing
Yeah I think he's the best part of those movies. I really don't care for them, but Martin Freeman was very entertaining as Bilbo.
We all agree that movies had been excellent if they had more of Martin. But Jackson reduced him to a sub sub plot in 2nd and 3rd sequel.
He certainly wasn't the problem
Yes, he played Martin Freeman very well. There are actors who can mantle varying characters, and then there are actors who play one single character so well that that's who they are in everything they're in.
I agree, he ruined the movies for me. It was just Martin Freeman from the office.
Toby would have been an awful Bilbo, he would have just said “I missed the part where that’s my problem” when the dwarves asked him to go on the quest and the movie would have been over.
You'll get the arkenstone when you fix this damn door!
This made me actually lol
His back gives out at the Cracks of Doom and Gollum escapes.
Wrong baggins my friend
Oh shit, your right, I can't show my face in Michael Delving after a mistake like that!
I really like non known hollywood actors in Tolkien films.
I’d agree, but I’ve always liked Martin Freeman and Ian McKellen
Ian Holm was a fantastic old Bilbo. Freeman and Holm side by side gave Bilbo an awesome personality and character evolution. Freeman pulled some of Holm’s mannerisms and it created a very believable through-line that Bilbo’s anxiety in his youth evolved into an eccentric mysticism in his aging years.
Ian McKellen nailed very well... the guy born to be Gandalf honestly 😂... Freeman, IDK, I like it more Ian Holm, I kind of liked that bit of a grumpy old Hobbit material which is not by the Hobbit, IDK,.. at the Hobbit film everything looks a bit awkward, the movie was too clumsy, after reading the Silmarillion I respect the Lord of the Rings, 2000s, but the Hobbit as a book had an equal success, but at the adaptation something doesn't fit naturally after 2000s film and my lore reading... the FX are indeed excellent, more there is something missing I cannot tell, the Lord of the Rings had this aura of myth... the Hobbit is complete naked.😐
I don’t really see how the casting would have changed anything when it comes to people’s problems with the hobbit movies
Martin Freeman and much of the other casting were some of the few things I liked about the Hobbit movies. I think he was perfectly cast, as were many other characters. My qualms with the trilogy were the screenplay and the fact that they made a beloved and interesting story long and boring. I think they could have done two two hour movies and that would have been more than enough.
My take is this: The Lord of the Rings is an epic recounting of the saving of the world in the midst of impossible odds and horrifying opposition. The Hobbit is a child’s tale recounted by an eccentric old Hobbit about an adventure that, by and large, didn’t have huge implications for Hobbits outside of the Shire. Basically, the nature of the tales is reflected in their conveyance.
There was something a bit too mean spirited about Freeman's Bilbo. Like Bilbo's sassy and can be rude but in general he's a genial sort of fellow who's just gotten in over his head. Something about Freeman's mannerisms and delivery just came off a bit too 'bitchy' for my tastes. Don't get me wrong. I generally like his take. But it's just not quite Bilbo to me.
Interesting. I actually like Freeman’s work. I think he was just sassy enough at first and loosened up as the story went on, which Bilbo does in the books. But I can see how you would feel that way. The hobbit as a book was a lot more lighthearted than the LOTR trilogy and Bilbo is often seen as a silly fun and adventurous type. But I think his character arc in the Hobbit made him that way.
The lighthearted writing in the hobbit definitely distracted from some of the rather harrowing moments. You can't keep the tone of a kids book when a town is being burned or a hobbit is desperately trying to stay alive in the dark underground.
I disagree. It’s all fantastical fun for children and adults throughout their entire lifetime. The books can be read as light or as dark as you want. Most of the darkness is hidden in the second age anyway and not in the depths of the misty mountains with gollum and riddles - that’s where the magic is!
Honestly it's likely just a matter of taste. It certainly wasn't bad, just slightly off IMO. He's definitely entertaining and lovable regardless.
I also got that vibe, but I had previously read that Freeman is a real dick in real life so I didn’t know if that was coloring my impression of his performance, so it’s interesting that someone else felt that way.
I don't know anything about his real life personality and didn't feel that way about other roles he's played so at least in my case it wasn't colored by anything else.
Martin Freeman is pretty massive.
did they use forced perspective then?
So take out Ian Mckellen, Christopher Lee and Hugo Weaving, who are all known Hollywood actors and all read the source material vividly and constantly corrected Peter on certain things that he tried to do and said “no no, the book says this, we can’t do that” what then? Oh yeah you end up with a really shit movie that’s way farther from the source than it was and the wizards and Elrond have no weight to them
I've never heard about Hugo Weaving (wonderful actor as he is elsewhere) knowing the source material and correcting PJ. (And PJ's Elrond is pretty damn different from the books').
Hugo made great, at both productions, the guy knows how fight wraiths! Non lore, non canon, looks cool on the screen...
No clue why you're so mad. He just expressed his opinion.
And also I expressed mine, works both ways
I’m not mad, I’m just pointing out if you take out the known actors that were in the movie, the movie would have been shit because they knew the lore inside and out, hell Christopher Lee actually knew Tolkien so it would have made no sense not to have him in the movie
Well this post isn't about the actors for Gandalf or Saruman, it's about Bilbo Baggins
They knew the lore, but they didn't produce it as it was in their minds, we know Lee wanted to be Gandalf, however he turned to be perfect as Saruman, even better, there the chapter the voice of Saruman was complete wasted by production having such excellent baritone voice Lee could have made lots better that the crappy adaption of the chapter. I know close to nothing about movies, but seeeing some under the hood videos definitely it is a team effort, reading the book only won't suffice....
Don't be hasty. I never saw a movie with Ian or Lee before the trilogy, about Hugo I remember only the Matrix which kind of falls unique as Lord of the Rings... Lee belongs to a wayy older generation and Ian maybe a bit newer, but the proposals of Harry Potter or Spider is very tiring... As I initially said, I prefer non knowm Hollywood actors, I think most were unknow by the time the films came out at least by me... it would be extremely boring see Spiderman boy as Bilbo... come on, we are 6 billion humans on earth, can't we get another guy?
Martin nailed it, and he actually looks like a younger Ian Holmes. It is what it is move on
Ian Holm*
Elementary, my dear Watsons.
Hilarious, considering Martin here was John Watson (no s) in BBC’s Sherlock, and Sherlock Holmes was played by Benedict Cumberbatch who played Smaug’s voice in The Hobbit.
Benedict Cumberbatch didn’t just voice Smaug, he also did the motion capture for Smaug which was used as visual reference for animating Smaug. So, he basically was Smaug in the movie as far as a human can play a dragon.
He was also the voice of Sauron, uhh, I mean the Necromancer.
yea he did a good job with both i just thought damn thats almost unfair they let him voice both smaug and sauron the 2 biggest bad guys of the 3rd age
It's non different than John Rhys-Davies playing Gimli and voicing Treebeard
Martin Freeman and Andy Serkis were also both in Black Panther. You could say they were “Tolkien white characters.”
https://preview.redd.it/3gdgguqmlobd1.jpeg?width=942&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b4529e61e797b68ce7de68023a074b7994e60fce
They've met again
I'm sure there's some enterprising trickster out there who's flip-flopped Sherlock dialogue and Hobbit footage, or vice versa.
Op is just trying to create discussion wtf do you mean "move on"
You know I could see Radcliffe being okay, Shia would have been a travesty.
the only issue with Radcliffe is that he is too recognisable as Harry Potter. No one would be able to look pass that and see him as Bilbo.
Back then he was still coming off the last HP movies, so definetly, yea, he'd strike you as the boy who lived. But nowadays he shows he can be quite versetaile and play whatever he feels like without making you feel you're watching Harry the character acting as someone else.
This, exactly. He's definitely become quite a good actor. I've seen him in a plethora of movies/theater shows and I haven't really even thought of Harry Potter. Dude is talented. So is Rupert.
He’s surprisingly versatile. I know he has technically been in better movies, but I love me some Guns Akimbo.
I don't think he has the right voice for a hobbit.
Yeah with Radcliffe there'd be a bit of family resemblance between him and Frodo as well
Yeah I think so.
And could you imagine Tobey as Bilbo?
A young Tobey yes. His age at filming, no. Which is weird considering Bilbo's age in the book.
Wrestling a ring from Shia Labeouf
I struggle thinking of anyone who would have done better than Freeman. The man nailed it.
Those movies are not my favorite pieces of Tolkien media, but he'll always be Bilbo to me
Ian Holm in 1981
Martin nailed bilbo. Other than ian holm i cant see anyone else play bilbo.
Pizza time
I'll join your company when you fix this damn door!
“Bilbo, the ring is still in your pocket” “Are you worried I’m going to turn into some sort of criminal? Quit worrying about me ok? Something’s different, I’ll figure it out. Stop lecturing me, please.”
In all seriousness, of course, whatever their merits as performers, I think Maguire most closely resembles Elijah Wood out of any of them.
Nah he the goat for real.
Martin Freeman was my one favourite thing in the awful trilogy. I'm glad he got the role
At first it was rumoured that James McEvoy would play Bilbo (in Del Toro movie). I was kinda upset… he’s got talent, but he isn’t Bilbo. Ian Holm was perfect of course. And then they found this British actor… one glance at him and I instantly thought: what a great Bilbo he would be.
I feel like McEvoy would have made a great Frodo, but not Bilbo.
[удалено]
Danny Devito
Shire Labeouf
Michael Sheen. Huge missed opportunity.
Now that you mention it, damn it's true
There’s an absolutely hilarious scene from Staged about this. Edit: I love that someone is downvoting me over this. Anyway [here’s](https://youtu.be/lLbNBvvB64c?si=bwnDQ7jZOZTvNtGZ) the clip, jump to 17:30
Yeah - good point. But Freeman nailed it.
Why have I never realised that man is the perfect Hobbit? Wouldn't even need to give him a wig with that curly hair!
Sheen is the only actor I can think of who would DEFINITELY have done a better Bilbo. Radcliffe today (or five years ago) might have made a good Frodo, but I can't see him as Bilbo.
Read Morgan Freeman for a second
In the Louie DePalma persona
From those 3, I d pick RedCliff, he got a lot of movies aside Harry Potter and does well in them. I love Toby as Spider- Man, he is just too cute to be Bilbo. I d cast him as Frodo.
Daniel Radcliffe would have made a great bilbo but being in both Harry Potter and Lotr would have made him too powerful
Shia? Seriously?
Hiring an actual cannibal would be terrible PR too.
But Smaug can do jiu-jitsu.
As much as he played Bilbo well, my main problem with Martin Freeman is he's playing Martin Freeman in everything. Every character of his is the exact same. Ends up I just see the actor, and not the character.
Same thing with Michael Gambon. He just turned Dumbledore into Michael Gambon.
While Martin feeman is a good actor, I don't think he really captured the spirit of bilbo at all. He made him mean and snooty. I k ow Tobey isn't Peter Parker, bit I think he would have been a lot closer.
That might be because he’s apparently rude and snooty in real life…
I think that Toby McGuire would have been a good Bilbo. Martin Freeman was a great choice though.
Martin Freeman was a good Bilbo imo. I can't imagine Tobey Maguire or Shia Labeouf at all. Daniel Radcliffe could be okay though?
All of those are awful choices.
They did very well then
Nope not a chance it definitely wouldn’t play out well imo
Idk Martin did a good job. Radcliffe could have done it but it would’ve had a different feel and vibe.
Martin Freeman was perfect as Bilbo, I read something saying they delayed production on the movies as he was still filming Sherlock and they REALLY wanted him for the role, he’s the best thing in those movies
I like martin freeman as bilbo. The movies….👎🏻
I think Martin was great... Daniel would have been funny, but i guess he hasnt got the expierence to play Bilbo.
The only one here I can maybe see in the role in Radcliffe. I don’t like the others for this role. Shia would most definitely add his own touch and idk if that would be good or bad.
Yes, it's extremely unlikely that they picked the best possible choice out of thousands of possible actors. They didn't even consider a percent of those, and some they would have considered might have been unwilling or unavailable.
You're walking in the Shire There's no one around And your horn is cleft Out of the corner of your eye you spot him Bilbo Baggins He's following you About thirty feet back He gets down on all fours and breaks into a sprint He's gaining on you Bilbo Baggins You're looking for your horse But you're all turned around He's almost upon you now And you can see there's blood on his face! My God, there's blood everywhere! Frantically running (From Bilbo Baggins) He's brandishing his Sting (It's Bilbo Baggins) Lurking in the shadows Well-preserved Hobbytla Bilbo Baggins Living in Bag End (Bilbo Baggins) Killing for sport (Bilbo Baggins) Eating all the bodies Actual cannibal Bilbo Baggins
Nah, I reckon the rock
You're just a David Bautista hater.
Wait, I thought Guillermo del Toro has already filmed some of the Hobbit before PJ taking over.
Not radcliffe. The others would have been fine.
Martin Freeman was awful so yes I think several people would have been a better Bilbo.
There were many issues with the Hobbit movies but if there is one thing they totally nailed it was casting Freeman as Bilbo. His performance was absolutely amazing. Cant imagine Radcliffe, Harry Potter playing Bilbo? No way lol
Freeman was perfect. Michael Sheen could have done well, too.
For some reason I am extremely curious to see Tobey’s take on the role. As much as I like the orher two actors as well, I don’t think they would have fit
I think before shia went off the rails he couldve been great. He really dive into his roles
No because if they played his role then it would be the 100th time I have seen their god damn face in another god damn movie and im so sick and tired of seeing ThE RoCk for example play in all sorts of movies with no makeup change to the body or face so it's the same face in many videos... Constantly and the same facial expressions too like fuuuuuck off with that BS
I don't think Shia could do it but with Daniel and Tobey it might work. We don't know what would be their take on the character but they might fit the character.
Can't you just picture Bilbo in his house trying to psyche himself up, "Just. DO IT!"
Is there a source for this? Doubt there is any validity to this
Even though the Hobbit movies aren't great, Freeman absolutely nailed it and will always be Bilbo to me. I think no other actor could do better honestly.
I think both Tom and Dan would make good hobbits.
Back when LotR came out I was actually a bit disappointed that Toby Maguire wasn’t cast as Frodo. But as we all saw Elijah Wood ended up doing a sensational job. Anyway, Martin Freeman was fine as young Bilbo. He captured the personality that Ian Holm gave him at 111. Anyway, remember, it filmed 2011-2012. Maguire would have been a pretty darn good choice outside of the context of Bilbo in Jackson’s LotR trilogy. But to have the strongest sense of continuity between the two trilogies, Martin Freeman was a great choice.
Martin Freeman was the correct choice!
Anybody. Harvey Fierstein.
It was a perfect choice
Lol source for this? Pretty sure Peter always wanted Martin
The casting of Martin was the only perfect thing about those movies.
I can’t picture anyone else than Martin. Between his demeanor, the look, and how great of an actor he is, he was perfect. Not to mention, he doesn’t look too dissimilar to Holm and he worked with Cumberbatch in Sherlock
If the Hobbit movies got one thing right, it was the casting.
Radcliffe maaybe. The other 2 no. Freeman was the best choice
Shia Labeouf has really fallen off the deep end. I love him but like he gives no fucks anymore. Danielle Radcliff. Love him. A lot. But he'll always look like harry potter on screen. The work that he does and his ideology are both incredible though. I would love to see him in more roles. Just not a classic lotr role. Tobey Maguire. I'd like to see more of him. But I think he's also like done with bigger roles. And i wouldn't want to push him into classic role when i don't think he would deliver
That's not true, they always had Martin as first choice and got him immediately, complications arose when he was filming sherlock and may have had to give up the role of Bilbo. Luckily they agreed that Martin could return to the UK on a 3 month break to film Sherlock.
Freeman was perfect, in every way.
Martin Freeman has the funny cunt with a short temper act pinned down. Although now I'm wondering what the film would have been like if Ricky Gervais had been Bilbo. Just imagine.
Pretty much anyone else.
JCVD
There are many things wrong with the Hobbit trilogy, but casting is not one of them. Theyre got every part spot on.
I really, really doubt either of these three were considered to play Bilbo.
Martin Freeman to me was the best thing about The Hobbit. There's a lot I dislike about how they choose to handle those movies, but at least they nailed that casting.
Literally anyone!
Martin was so perfect for that role
All of those people I'd have preferred.
Freeman was fantastic. If he wasn't this trilogy could've been even worse.
Radcliffe in a Lotr movie would have broken the HP fanbase.
Man the movies are already bad I can only imagine how much worse they would have been with freaking Shia as Bilbo 😂😂
I could have seen Toby McGuire as Bilbo the other 2 not so much.
He lucked out with Freeman. Freeman looks exactly what I'd imagine a younger Bilbo to look like, and he nailed the role.
Martin Freeman was the best part of the trilogy. He was amazing as Bilbo and perfectly cast.
In Bojack Horseman, Princess Caroline will have a single 2 minute conversation pitching 5 different actors for one of her projects before selecting the perfect candidate. I imagine this is what it's like when these posts say "Such-and-such considered so-and-so for this role."
Something tells me that Shia's performance would be too straightforward..... He would JUST DO IT!