Martin Freeman may be at the very top of the list of potential Hobbit leads, according to a report at EW.
Freeman, best known for his performance as Tim on the original “The Office,” would play Bilbo Baggins, a humorless Hobbit unwittingly thrust into the life of an adventurer. Ian Holm portrayed Bilbo in the “Lord of the Rings” films, set decades after the events of The Hobbit.
Freeman reportedly turned down the role due to a previous commitment to the BBC series “Sherlock.” Now, EW claims that an offer has been made to Freeman that would work The Hobbit shooting into his schedule.
Though official details are still unannounced, progression on The Hobbit would seem to indicate that New Line/Warner Bros. and MGM are close to working out the financial issues that have been holding back production.
