Stephen Fry does it all. He writes, acts, speaks, blogs -- basically, he's putting us all out of jobs. His latest role will be that of an ordinary human, albeit one who gets to hang out with hobbits and dwarves and dragons.
Compared to the The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbitwas always a lighter adventure, a prequel meant for younger readers as a segue into the epic, dark experiences of the Fellowship of the Ring and their quest to Mordor. Keeping with his past trilogy, it's likely that Peter Jackson's upcoming adaptation of The Hobbit will keep the same grim tone, but with recent casting additions, there may be room in the film for a bit more comedy.
Jackson and Fry have a previously relationship, spending a good part of the last decade working together on a remake of the 1955 war film The Dam Busters. Now Jackson's expanded his relationship with Fry, bringing him into theHobbit fold in a role that could be more substantial than the original text would have you believe, now that the source material is being broken into two parts.
For those unfamiliar with Fry, or simply need a reason to love this bit of casting, watch this:
Jackson also updated with a few more casting additions, including relative unknown Ryan Gage as the Master of Watertown's slimy servant Alfrid and Conan Stevens as the orc Azgog. Jackson posted a picture of himself and Stevens on set, to give you an idea how tall this lumbering actor really is (Jackson is aroundn 6'5"). Not someone you want to mess around with.
The Hobbit is a strong contender for a panel at SDCC this year, so keep your eyes peeled for official announcements soon.