First pictures from The Hobbit have been released.

With the release of these images we finally get a first look at Martin Freeman as Bilbo, and he's looking good in the role. There's also a picture of Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf, which should bring back fond memories of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Here are the images (via EW):
Click for bigger images.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will be released on December 14th, 2012, with The Hobbit: There and Back Again hitting theaters on December 13th, 2013.

The Hobbit is still adding cast members.

Joining Martin Freeman as Bilbo is now Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel, a Woodland Elf. Barry Humphries will be portraying the Goblin King in much the same way as Andy serkis portrayed Gollum. Benedict Cumberbatch, who recentfly shared the screen with Freeman in BBC series Sherlock, also joins the cast as the voice of Smaug, the dragon briefly mentioned in Fellowship of the Ring.

Here’s the full statement via Jackson’s Facebook page:

Yikes! I can finally get back to some postings!  We’ve finished our first block of shooting and moved straight into location scouting. More on that soon… But today, I’m thrilled to announce two new cast members who will be joining us for our second block of shooting.
Evangeline Lilly will be playing a new character—the Woodland Elf, Tauriel. Her name means ‘daughter of Mirkwood’ and, beyond that, we must leave you guessing! (No, there is no romantic connection to Legolas.) What is not a secret is how talented and compelling an actress Evangeline is; we are thrilled and excited she will be the one to bring our first true Sylvan Elf to life.
I’m also highly excited that Barry Humphries will be portraying the Goblin King, in much the way Andy Serkis created Gollum. Barry is perhaps best known for his business and social connections as the long-time manager of Dame Edna Everage. He has also been an ardent supporter of the rather misunderstood and unfairly maligned Australian politician, Sir Les Patterson. However, in his spare time, Barry is also a fine actor, and we’re looking forward to seeing him invest the Goblin King with the delicate sensitivity and emotional depth this character deserves.
Evangeline and Barry, along with Welsh actor Luke Evans as Bard and Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug, just about rounds out the major casting. I cannot wait to get stuck into these new scenes!
More soon, including a flurry of answers to your questions. Sorry for the delay!

Cheers,
Peter J

Hot Fuzz

They're bad boys. They're die hards. They're lethal weapons. They are...

 

I was lucky enough to get tickets to a free screening tonight, I've been waiting for this film for a long time, and it's release in Norway isn't until the 13th April, so I didn't hesitate to grab the chance to see it early.

This little gem of comedy is delivered to us from the same team that brought us 'Shaun of the Dead', so there's been quite a bit on anticipation tied to 'Hot Fuzz'. How do they compare? It's very hard for me to actually compare the two as they deal with two totally different genres, but even though it took me a little longer to come to adore 'Shaun of the Dead' I really liked 'Hot Fuzz' almost instantly! Having said that I do believe it's 'Shaun of the Dead' that'll have staying power

'Hot Fuzz'starts off a little slow paced and takes a little while to get to the action, but there are a lot of great stuff leading up to where the action starts. It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces from british comedy which, for me, just added to the enjoyment.
I haven't laughed this hard at the cinema in ages, and I loved all the typical action movie scenes, that were so brilliantly done.

Following Nicholas Angel to the quiet town of Sandford where he's teamed up with well-meaning but overeager police officer Danny Butterman. I felt so sorry for him ending up in the quiet country side, totally misplaced in this perfect little community. But all is not as it seems. People start dying, but is it murders or just freak accidents? It's up to Nicolas and Danny to find out.

Great film, great cast, and lots and lots of fun!
This is the kind of brilliant comedy that only the brits can deliver, go watch it now!