File this one under "here's hoping." Brian Cox is a gifted performer. One of those actors whose mere presence is enough to elevate a movie. "Troy" wasn' that great, but Cox helped make it bearable as Agamemnon. And his roles in "X2: X-Men United" and "Super Troopers" -- already fine films -- are unforgettable, career highlights without question. Also don't forget: Cox was the first person to fill the role of man-eater Hannibal Lecter (spelled Lecktor back then), in Michael Mann's "Manhunter."

Now the word is that Cox is up for one of the dwarves in director Guillermo del Toro's adaptation of "The Hobbit." The news comes from AICN, with Cox being described as a "major contender." The report is clear to state that there's no way of knowing right now if the role is cast or if the producers are just looking at the veteran actor, but either way -- I'll take any Cox/"Hobbit" association I can get. Read more...

-- Let the speculation begin. "Howling Mad" Murdock actor Dwight Schultz will be showing up for a cameo in Joe Carnahan's "The A-Team," according to a fansite. Hopefully, this means we'll be seeing other cameos from the rest of the team. Who doesn't want to see Mr. T give this young guns A-Team a vote of confidence with a tiny cameo role. Hell, he can leave his gold chains at home if it makes him happy. Schultz is great, but the fans want what they want: bring back T. (The Official Dwight Schultz Fansite, via Cinematical)

-- "Mad Men" producer Matthew Weiner is turning his attention to film now that the latest season is finished. He's now getting set to helm "You Are Here," a romantic comedy that he wrote. Independent financing is already in place and the cast will include the likes of Jennifer Aniston and "The Hangover" stars Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis. No word on a synopsis, but he'd better get cracking or he's going to leave a lot of "Mad Men" fans very disappointed. (Variety) Read more...

A few months ago, Viggo Mortensen told MTV that he could see his "Lord of the Rings" character, Aragorn, popping up in a film meant to bridge the stories between "The Hobbit" and the "Rings" trilogy. The only problem there is that the bridge chapter is looking increasingly unlikely.

Then again, maybe not. "Hobbit" director Guillermo del Toro may have ruled out the possibility of directing the bridge movie, but that doesn't mean someone else -- even Peter Jackson himself -- can't step in to do it. That's what I find most interesting about Mortensen's words in a recent interview with ComingSoon. It sounds like he's clearer on the franchise plans since we last spoke from him, and still that talk of a bridge film persists.... Read more...

It's been over a decade since Ian McKellen donned Gandalf's robes on the set of the first film in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Now 10 years later, the British actor is itching to revisit Middle Earth. He recently read the script for the first of "The Hobbit" films, but with no start date for production, the guy is getting a little antsy.

"Gandalf is a fantastic part and I long to do it," McKellen told MTV News, adding that both he and "LOTR" director Peter Jackson prefer the earlier Gandalf the Grey version to his later, post-resurrection incarnation. "He was more humane somehow. He was the guy who liked to hang out with the hobbits and drink too much and smoke too much." Read more...

Yesterday, we posted some of Eric Ditzian's interview with Sir Ian McKellen, who plays the wizard Gandalf in the "Lord of the Rings" and upcoming "Hobbit" movies. In one of the more compelling bits, the actor revealed that the scripts for the two films with feature plotlines culled from other J.R.R. Tolkien sources.

McKellen wouldn't elaborate any further than that, but a recent interview Guillermo del Toro gave to TotalFilm may shed some additional light on what the Gandalf actor was referring to. "We are respecting the structure established by Professor Tolkien because the order of the adventures in 'The Hobbit' is well known to generations and generations of kids," the director said. "You don’t want to be moving stuff like that." So what's new? Read more...

Tolkien-ites freaked out over the fate of "The Hobbit" – when's it gonna start shooting? Will the studio's financial implosion affect production? Um, the movies are still happening, right?! – received a much-needed boost last month from Ian McKellen, who revealed he'd actually read the script.

MTV News had a chance to chat with Sir Ian while he was promoting his AMC mini-series, "The Prisoner," and the actor behind Gandalf the Grey revealed some more details – and clarified others – that keep the Tolkien boosts coming. Read more...

When Ian McKellen said that "The Hobbit" scripts would be delivered shortly, he really wasn't kidding. Not only are the screenplays turned in, but the once-and-future Gandalf has read them both.

McKellen spoke with Sci Fi Wire about the scripts, except that the role of Gandalf was particularly tailored to his sensibilities this time around.

"As Peter [Jackson] has said, they loved writing Gandalf [for 'The Hobbit'] because they knew who they were writing for," said the actor. "There are a lot of characters in 'The Hobbit,' including, crucially, Bilbo, and they don't know who's going to play Bilbo. So it's extremely attractive that this part has been written for me. The other Gandalf was written for, well, just as Gandalf. There's lots for me to enjoy, in all sorts of ways. And I couldn't be happier. But I'm sworn to secrecy. I'm not to say anything at all about the script." Read more...

Nobody tosses a dwarf — not even "Lord of the Rings" actor John Rhys-Davies, who recently declared that he won't be throwing himself back into dwarven garb anytime soon, despite offers to the contrary.

In an interview with Empire, Rhys-Davies revealed that he has been approached about appearing in "The Hobbit," the Guillermo del Toro-directed and Peter Jackson-produced sequel to the beloved "Rings" trilogy. Sadly, the actor doesn't plan on elongating his beard and truncating his height anytime soon — his days as a battle-hungry dwarf are over. Read more...

Ah, "The Hobbit." At long last, movie-goers will once again have a chance to be whisked away to the real-life Middle-earth that Peter Jackson created for his "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. Only this time that vision will be guided by director Guillermo del Toro. News has been relatively light on the project, which is understandable considering that it's still a few years off.

We fans will still take any update we can get, right? The latest comes from no less a personage than Sir Ian McKellen, aka Gandalf the Grey, speaking in an interview with Empire. The actor knows the score with "The Hobbit," and he had an update on where the powers-that-be are in the process of pulling the adaptation together. Read more...

Last night, MTV's Kurt Loder sat down with "The Lord of the Rings" composer Howard Shore and Pippin the Hobbit actor Billy Boyd at The Paley Center for Media. Kurt was there to moderate a panel called Shore on the Score: The Music of "The Lord of the Rings," which featured Shore, Boyd and The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films author Doug Adams.

The event kicked off a week long "Lord of the Rings" celebration which will culminate with live performances of the "Fellowship of the Ring" score at Radio City Music Hall on October 9 and 10. Read more...