For serious fans, the still-under-construction road to "The Hobbit" has been nothing short of an emotional roller coaster. First Guillermo del Toro was directing, then he wasn't. Now we're anxiously waiting to see if Peter Jackson will take the gig. Beyond that, there have been studio woes, casting rumors galore, will-they-or-won't-they debates over who's coming back from the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and who won't... in short, enough to make a person's head spin. Then pop off and roll into a nearby storm drain. Or Hobbit hole, if you will.
Yesterday The Sun ran a story claiming that Martin Freeman, star of the UK version of "The Office" and the (vastly underrated) adaptation of Douglas Adams' "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," had been offered the lead role of Bilbo Baggins. An offer which he had to decline due to other obligations, the report said, citing an unnamed source. Now we have a follow-up -- again, sourced to an unnamed individual(s) -- from Entertainment Weekly. The news, if true, is much brighter this time: MGM and New Line came back to Freeman with a schedule that would allow him to fulfill his commitments while also taking the lead "Hobbit" role.
In short: EFF YES. Freeman is great. I don't have much experience with "The Office," but he was a fantastic Arthur Dent. Dent and Bilbo are alike in many ways; I imagine we'd see him channeling some of the character from that previous effort in bringing the Ring-bearing hobbit to life. Bear in mind that the news comes from an anonymous source, so the reliability of the information is in question. The fact remains though: Freeman would make a great Bilbo and, if what's reported is true, it's encouraging to see the studio recognizing that fact and pursuing him in this way. Here's hoping it all works out.
Even if you don't immediately recognize the name Drew Struzan, I guarantee you know his work. His art graces more than 150 movie posters, including some of the most celebrated and iconic works of the past 30 years: all of the "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" movies, the first few "Police Academy" flicks, "First Blood," "Coming To America," "The Goonies," "Blade Runner"... impressed yet? The guy has a serious resume.
UPDATE: Reader 
To be fair, "some dude" is actually Karl Pilkington, star of the Ricky Gervais/Stephen Merchant-produced UK TV series, "An Idiot Abroad." I haven't seen the show, but the premise apparently involves sending Pilkington on a globe-spanning adventure designed to take him "out of his comfort zone."
Taylor Kitsch and Alexander Skarsgard. Brooklyn Decker. Tadanobu "Ichi the Killer" Asano. Rihanna. Whatever you care to say about 
You've heard this story before: a powerful young woman, perhaps a warrior or an athlete or some other competitive figure, bucks stereotype and forces her way into a male-driven world where her skills can be put to proper use. Joan of Arc is the example most people think of. This one comes from another part of the world.
Fall Movie Season Is Gearing Up: What Are You Most Looking Forward To?
Posted 9/7/10 3:00 pm EST by Adam Rosenberg in Commentary, Fall Preview
What are you most looking forward to seeing? "TRON: Legacy"? "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"? "The Social Network"? Please let us know. I'm going to use this opportunity to run through 10 upcoming fall releases that don't necessarily number among the major tentpoles. Even if you've heard of them, these (mostly) smaller-scale productions are worthy of your attention in the coming months. Read More...
Tags Buried, howl, I'm Still here, Monsters, morning glory, Stone, The Debt, The Warrior's Way, True Grit, Welcome to the Rileys, wild target