'THE HOBBIT' (Part I): MGM Studios CASTING information in New Zealand, LA and London

The Hobbit team: Guillermo del Toro (left) and Peter Jackson (right)

Photo: by Jeff Vespa (left); Steve Granitz (right) - Image courtesy © WireImage.com

Casting is scheduled to begin on the upcoming MGM Studios feature film The Hobbit Part 1 in London, LA and New Zealand. Peter Jackson says they are throwing a large net and casting for every role apart from the one of Gandalf which is spoken for. Principal photography on this two-part project is tentatively scheduled to begin in New Zealand around May or June 2011.

“What we’ve done over the years is discover a lot of interesting actors, like Orlando Bloom (in ‘Rings’), Kate Winslet (in ‘Heavenly Creatures’), Saoirse Ronan (in ‘The Lovely Bones’). So if you start looking and auditioning seriously, it’s amazing what incredible talent you’ll find out there.”

When asked about the rumors of James McAvoy being chased for the part of Bilbo Baggins he said they had not settled on any actors.

“Apart from Ian McKellen, who we obviously want to return as Gandalf, we are not really offering any roles to anybody until we’ve done a casting sweep,” Jackson said.

He also went on to say he felt no pressure to cast stars in for any of the main characters in The Hobbit explaining he sees Tolkien as the real star.

“(These movies) have never been a star-driven vehicle. The star is (author J.R.R.) Tolkien and the world he created. We are not under any pressure. We want to find the right people. Casting someone to portray a hobbit is not as easy as you might imagine. They have to have a particular type of physical appearance and a sensibility. And the same with an elf or a dwarf. These are fantastical characters, but you’ve got to find the right people to play them, the right humans to translate these characters.”

NEW ZEALAND CASTING INFORMATION

Please submit photos and resumed by mail only. No phone calls or personal drop-offs (you will simply annoy people and get your file thrown in the trash).

PRINCIPAL ACTOR CASTING
Liz Mullane Casting
17 Taipakupaku Road
Karaka Bay
Wellington, New Zealand 6022

EXTRAS CASTING
Miranda Rivers
PO Box 6479
Marion Square
Wellington, New Zealand 6022

PRODUCTION COMPANIES
Do NOT send photos and resumes to the production companies (they will most likely end up in the trash can). They do not cast the films. They hire casting directors who sort through the thousands of submissions and hold the acting auditions.

MGM Studios
10250 Constellation Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90067

New Line Cinema
116 N. Robertson Blvd.
Ste 200
Los Angeles, CA 90048

Key Creatives Creating, LLC
9595 Wilshire Blvd.
Suite 800
Beverly Hills, CA 90212

Wingnut Films / Necropia
PO Box 15-208
Miramar
Wellington, New Zealand 6003

PRODUCERS
Peter Jackson
Fran Walsh
Ken Kamins

DIRECTOR
Guillermo del Toro

STARRING
Ian McKellan

STORY
The adaptation of JRR Tolkien's The Hobbit will be made into two live action films. Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit who wanted to be left alone in quiet comfort. But the wizard Gandalf came along with a band of homeless dwarfs. Soon Bilbo was drawn into their quest, facing evil orcs, savage wolves, giant spiders, and worse unknown dangers. Finally, it was Bilbo alone and unaided who had to comfort the great dragon Smaug, the terror of an entire countryside.

Good luck...may you land the Hobbilicious role of your dreams! When you do, drop us a line to let us know!

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Source: TheHollywoodReporter Acting-Auditions.org

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