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Confirmed : Elijah Wood returning for The Hobbit

Elijah Wood is a lock to reprise his role as Frodo in “The Hobbit”, TheOneRing.Net tell us this morning.

Though Frodo’s a major part of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy the character doesn’t actually appear in J.R.R Tolkien’s “Hobbit”. Purists will no doubt piss on the announcement, but for what it’s worth, Frodo’s inclusion in the new film does sound organic enough to muster a pass.

Says TheOneRing, “As readers of “The Hobbit” know, the tale of “The Downfall of The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit or There and Back Again,” are contained in the fictional “Red Book of Westmarch.” In Peter Jackson’s LOTR films, the books are shown on screen and written in by Bilbo and Frodo and handed off to Sam Gamgee. (Not explained on film are Sam’s progeny later having the book and being Wardens of the Westmarch — hence the book’s title.)

The fictional book, and either the telling from it or the reading of it, will establish Frodo in the films experiencing Bilbo’s story. Viewers to learn the tale of ‘The Hobbit’ with a familiar Frodo getting the tale as well.

Since the speculation is now everywhere around the interwebs, TORn can confirm that as of now, the plans are to feature Frodo in the opening sequence of the films. It is unlikely that studio Warner Bros. or Team Jackson would change the script at this point in response to the web buzz so we may have just “spoiled” December 2012 for some, but we warned you. (And, sat on the spoiler until leaks started to appear!)”

Now we just need confirmation that Orlando Bloom is definitely returning to reprise his “Rings” role of Legalos, as recently mooted.

The two “The Hobbit” films – which, as we reported yesterday, will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros – begin lensing in February.

Various Casting News

Weekend Quick News – January 8, 2011