The Incident with the Dragon.

Almost that time again: Part the Second of Bilbo Baggins’ Great Adventure gets a trailer in this first look at Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Lots of Legolas and Thranduil (Lee Pace) here, as well as our first looks at Bard (Luke Burns), Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly), Beorn (in CGI-form), and even the Great Wyrm, tho’ he does not speak (perhaps because he sounds a mite like…”John Harrison.”)

The Grey Company.

While summer swelters stateside, Peter Jackson and co. are thankfully hard at work on The Hobbit. Here’s the second production diary (and the first, if you missed it.) And some production stills: Above we have Nori (Jed Brophy), Ori (Adam Brown), and Dori (Mark Hadlow), and below we have Oin (John Callen) and Gloin (Peter Hamilton) next to Fili (Dean O’Gorman) and Kili (Aidan Turner). That’s seven dwarves accounted for — six more presumably to follow in short order.

Update: Three more dwarves — or maybe three and a half, depending on how you count Bombur – materialize: Bombur (Stephen Hunter), Bofur (James Nesbitt), and Bifur (William Kircher). Note what appears to be a large chunk of metal embedded in the latter’s forehead.

Update 2: Almost there…Here’s Balin (Ken Stott) and Dwalin (Graham McTavish).

Update 3: And Thorin Oakenshield is here.

A Long-Expected Party.

“There are a few times in your career when you come across an actor who you know was born to play a role, but that was the case as soon as I met Martin. He is intelligent, funny, surprising and brave – exactly like Bilbo and I feel incredibly proud to be able to announce that he is our Hobbit.“

With the fate of a Kiwi Middle Earth still up in the air (due to the aforementioned labor issues), Peter Jackson gets a greenlight — yes, he’s directing now — and announces the cast of The Hobbit. As Bilbo, and as rumored since the very beginning, Martin Freeman of The Office UK and Hitchhiker’s Guide. I like it.

Rounding out the cast (besides Ian McKellen, Hugo Weaving, and Andy Serkis, of course): Richard Armitage (no, not that one) as Thorin Oakinshield, Rob Kazinsky as Fili, Aidan Turner as Kili, Graham McTavish as Dwalin, John Callen as Oin, Stephen Hunter as Bombur, Mark Hadlow as Dori, and Peter Hambleton as Gloin. AICN has already thrown together a handy visual guide, and these guys all already have that dwarven je-ne-sais-quoi. (Hopefully, that means less Gimli make-up.) Pending a location, shooting is set to start in February.