Should Ian Holm play Bilbo again in a Hobbit adaptation?

[Drogobaggins]

Does anyone think Ian Holm should play Bilbo again in a Hobbit adaptation if it were done in the next few years? If not, who would be a good choice?

[adt100]

No, too old now really for the part.

No idea who would be best to take the role though.

[Cbars]

I can't imagine anyone else. If he's too old, I'd say don't do it. Some shoes are impossible to fill.

[HellaGood]

I'm thinking.....Ashton Kutcher?? What about you lot?










(Joke)

[Andrey83]

70 years.

Thats all i'm gonna say.

Now start thinking how smart it would be for Ian Holm to play the part.... :rolleyes:

[Kurufinwe]

I think he should... remember that Bilbo looked just the same at the end of the hobbit and at the start of LOTR. If he should not do it, I don't think it should be made.

[dustindame]

I wouldnt mind seeing a different person playing him because he is to old to play him in the hobbit.

[Tornado]

I don't think so, he's too old. But then again, I can't see anybody else playing the part.

[Anglachel_Sword]

I would like to, but I think he can´t because of the age :(

[Necross]

Agreed, it would be great if he was Bilbo again but I know he is too old. Don't worry though, PJ always picks the right people to play the parts.

[CrzyCanuck72]

Originally posted by Kurufinwe
remember that Bilbo looked just the same at the end of the hobbit and at the start of LOTR.

that's because they pulled his skin back with tape. That would not work for a 2:30 movie. He's just too old.

[Cbars]

I think it is a given that he is getting too old for the part, but does that also mean that Ian Mccellan is too old for Gandalf? They are around the same age. Also, can you think of anyone who could possibly fill those roles to our satisfaction? I can't.

[CrzyCanuck72]

Originally posted by Cbars
I think it is a given that he is getting too old for the part, but does that also mean that Ian Mccellan is too old for Gandalf? They are around the same age. Also, can you think of anyone who could possibly fill those roles to our satisfaction? I can't.

McKellen was in his late-50s when LotR was shot. Ian Holm would be at least 75 before The Hobbit began filming.

[Cbars]

Mckellen is 65. Anyways, like I said, can you think of a suitable replacement?

[Brock Landers]

McKellen should definetely stay as Gandalf, I think he can handle it. But for Holm....I'm not so sure. He's the perfect Bilbo, but yes he is too old. Although they COULD use him for just the closeup shots and such as that, while having a stand-in double do all the hard stuff.

[Soulless]

Yes, Ian Holm should play Bilbo. He's not too old. With todays make-up effects age isn't a problem anymore.

[Lothenon]

Even with today's sfx I have hardly seen any convincing aging-effects (make ups used to make look people older/younger) even in new movies.

With todays make-up effects age isn't a problem anymore.

but filming is. :rolleyes:

Too old, end of story.

[Soulless]

Originally posted by Lothenon
but filming is. :rolleyes:

Too old, end of story. So I guess you're saying that if an actor hits a certain age then they have no right to be in any more films? That's exactly what it sounds like. And it's fine to have your own opinions but it's not up to you call for the end of discussion.

[Lothenon]

So I guess you're saying that if an actor hits a certain age then they have no right to be in any more films?

No, I am saying that 70year old actors should not be playing characters that look like 30 and do things like encountering trolls, riding barrels, fighting spiders, etc. you know? :)

[Soulless]

Originally posted by Lothenon
No, I am saying that 70year old actors should not be playing characters that look like 30 and do things like encountering trolls, riding barrels, fighting spiders, etc. you know? :)
Then I guess Christopher Lee, who is 82, has no right to be in Star Wars, let alone Lord of the Rings despite his good health.

[Kinjo]

Gandalf: "You haven't aged a day"


Holm would be fine

[Undome-Elenamin]

Soulless, chill. Lothenon doesn't mean it like that. It just makes no sense to have Ian play Bilbo if Bilbo is half of Ian's age. Believe me, if Ian could play Bilbo I'm sure more than half of this board would pay PJ to cast him.

[CrzyCanuck72]

Originally posted by Cbars
Mckellen is 65. Anyways, like I said, can you think of a suitable replacement?

d'oh. I thought you were talking about LotR. I forgot Gandalf was in The Hobbit :o


Anyway, Holm is just too old. Not only does he not look like a youngish hobbit, he can't physically handle the role

[Soulless]

Originally posted by Undome-Elenamin
Soulless, chill. Lothenon doesn't mean it like that. It just makes no sense to have Ian play Bilbo if Bilbo is half of Ian's age. Believe me, if Ian could play Bilbo I'm sure more than half of this board would pay PJ to cast him. Nobody is overreacting, I am quite calm. There was no reason for you to tell me to chill. I was making a point about how age doesn't matter much to Hollywood if they can have an 82 year old man run around with a lightsaber with him being perfectly fine when it's all said and done. It's called stunt double or CGI, which is what Lee had in Star Wars. Everyone's talking like Ian would have to do everything himself when that's not the case.

[flukeman]

I say that if Ian feels he could do it, and if he actually wants to do it, then damn straight, go for it.

[Necross]

Originally posted by Soulless
Nobody is overreacting, I am quite calm. There was no reason for you to tell me to chill. I was making a point about how age doesn't matter much to Hollywood if they can have an 82 year old man run around with a lightsaber with him being perfectly fine when it's all said and done. It's called stunt double or CGI, which is what Lee had in Star Wars. Everyone's talking like Ian would have to do everything himself when that's not the case.

Thats not the point, Christopher Lee is playing the character who is that age. Ian is double the age of Bilbo in the hobbit and the most Lee has done in Star Wars is swing a light sabre, much different for anything that Bilbo has to do in the Hobbit. I would love if Ian Holm could do it but I just don't think he can. He is in an entirely different physical state than both Lee and Mckellen. I have seen interviews, he seems tired and ragged lately the poor man where as Lee and Mckellen always seem to be full of life.

[thewickedchild]

No. Quite Impossible, I'm afraid. Given the taping and such they had to do just for that quick little scene in the Prologue, and that was how many years ago now that they filmed that? And we're looking at a few more years before this would even possibly begin filming.

I don't know who would be cast, but I'm sure they would find the right person.

Gandalf isn't an issue though. Unless something really bad happens to Ian Mckellan's face, he will be alright, seeing as Gandalf is REALLY old anyway.

[Soulless]

In Red Dragon Anthony Hopkins still played Hannibal Lecter despite the fact that Red Dragon is a prequel to Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal was suppose to be way younger in RD then in Silence, yet he did a fine job nonetheless. That's what I'm getting at. If they can do it with Anthony Hopkins, who also looks a little out of shape and is not much younger then Holm, then that is my reasoning to believe that any actor, old or young, can play older or younger roles despite not "looking" as such. It worked fine for Red Dragon. Would it really hurt for people to use their imaginations for once?

[Necross]

Anthony Hopkins didn't look younger...RD didn't happen too long before Silence of the Lambs, Clarice shows up at the end of it. Anyway Hopkins looked older than he did in Silence of the Lambs, that didn't ruin it but I think Bilbo will not work as well as Hannibal Lector.

[Soulless]

Originally posted by Necross
Anthony Hopkins didn't look younger...RD didn't happen too long before Silence of the Lambs, Clarice shows up at the end of it. Anyway Hopkins looked older than he did in Silence of the Lambs, that didn't ruin it but I think Bilbo will not work as well as Hannibal Lector. I never said he looked younger, because he didn't. That's my point. The actor doesn't have to look younger for the film to be good. And the story of Will Graham/Francis Dolarhyde/Hannibal Lecter does happen a few years before Silence, at least that's my understanding. They threw the Clarice thing in at the end as to give the audience a nostalgia feel.

[Mat]

I thought Bilbo was like 50 in The Hobbit...

Anywho, I'd like to see Ian back. As someone said earlier, if he thinks he can do it, he should do it.

[Soulless]

Originally posted by Mat
I thought Bilbo was like 50 in The Hobbit...

Anywho, I'd like to see Ian back. As someone said earlier, if he thinks he can do it, he should do it. Yeah, it's all on the actor really, not what some random fanboys want. If he can and will then great. If he can't or is unable to then that's alright. I say I'd like to see him and have been saying why I think he can do it, but at the same time if Peter were to recast I'm sure the film would probably still be just as good. Just as long as Elijah Wood doesn't play Bilbo, because that would be strange.

[Necross]

So now were random fanboys? You sound more like the fanboy Soulless, you are over reacting. ;)

[Soulless]

Originally posted by Necross
So now were random fanboys? You sound more like the fanboy Soulless, you are over reacting. I was including myself. You read into it too much. The emotion you see when reading is the emotion you make for yourself.

[Necross]

Originally posted by Soulless
I was including myself. You read into it too much. The emotion you see when reading is the emotion you make for yourself.

Damn I forgot my friggin smiley! There edited it.

[Andrey83]

As far as I know, bilbo is about 50 in the hobbit.

A 50 year old hobbit looks pretty much like a 30-35 year old human.

To have a 70 year old actor playing a 30 year old man is just plain stupid. But thats me......

[Necross]

No, not just you, I completely agree.

[Brandalf85]

A little OT but it concerns the hobbit getting made....looks like things might be looking up!

http://www.nydailynews.com/business/story/200698p-173251c.html

[Necross]

Things will only look up if the same people who made LOTR make the Hobbit.

[Cloud Buster]

Originally posted by Soulless
Then I guess Christopher Lee, who is 82, has no right to be in Star Wars, let alone Lord of the Rings despite his good health.

I was about to reply that Ian Holm probably couldn't do it because The Hobbit requires a lot of action on the part of Bilbo, which just isn't practical for an actor of 75 -- and I wouldn't want there be to a stunt double in every other shot.

But then you mentioned Christopher Lee -- I had no idea he was that old! He looked much younger in SW:AOTC, and though his lightsaber battle wasn't too physical, it was indeed convincing. Perhaps I'm wrong about Holm then, too.

But, I still don't think that Ian Holm should do it, however. Keep in mind he was cast to play Bilbo at two ages (not counting the prologue, which was secondary) - 111, and 130 (at least in appearance). That's old even for Hobbits.

That being said, do I know anyone who could do a better job? Absolutely not. Ian Holm is the perfect Bilbo, but I just don't think it's appropriate to use a 75 year old man to try to convincingly play a character that's an equivalent of 30 (by human standards) in a role that involves a great deal of physical action.

Did anyone see "The Day After Tomorrow"? Or at least watch the trailer? That's NOT aging makeup, that's what he really looks like now....he's aged A LOT in the 4 or 5 years since they shot FOTR...

[Cloud Buster]

Originally posted by Mat
I thought Bilbo was like 50 in The Hobbit...

Anywho, I'd like to see Ian back. As someone said earlier, if he thinks he can do it, he should do it.

Yes, but I've always been given the impression in reading The Hobbit and LOTR that age 50 is about the equivalent of a human at age 30 or 35. Pippin is considered a "young master" hobbit at the age of 30 (or 29 to be exact, I think). It always seemed to me that the four main hobbits in LOTR were considered young at their ages, like young adults -- say the equivalent of ages 18-24.

[Kurufinwe]

Originally posted by Cloud Buster
Yes, but I've always been given the impression in reading The Hobbit and LOTR that age 50 is about the equivalent of a human at age 30 or 35. Pippin is considered a "young master" hobbit at the age of 30 (or 29 to be exact, I think). It always seemed to me that the four main hobbits in LOTR were considered young at their ages, like young adults -- say the equivalent of ages 18-24.

Are you sure... i don't seem to find a quote in the books were it says that. I heard it in the movie, were Gimli says it, but that’s probably because Dwarfs lives a lot longer (and in dwarf sense, pippin might be considered "young" )

Just curies... :)

[adt100]

I thought I hear a while ago that Holm had effectively ruled himself out of the Hobbit (if it were made) anyway, due primarily to age and health issues.

I would say that even if The Hobbit started filimh in the next 2-3 years, there's vritually no chance whatsoever that Ian Holm would reprise his role as Bilbo (though if PJ's in charge there's a good chance he be offered a cameo.)

[Cloud Buster]

Originally posted by Kurufinwe
Are you sure... i don't seem to find a quote in the books were it says that. I heard it in the movie, were Gimli says it, but that’s probably because Dwarfs lives a lot longer (and in dwarf sense, pippin might be considered "young" )

Just curies... :)

Well, you're right now that I think of it, I can't quote the book about Pippin being called a "young master" (I think I did hear that in the film), but I do get that distinct impression about the Hobbits from the book. (Now that I think of it, Barliman calls the hobbits "little masters" in the film...I'll have to check to see if he says anything of the sort in the book.)

Such moments that come to mind are when they're at Farmer Maggot's, Bree...I could go on, and on, but I always had the impression that they were considered young. One moment in particular is when Pippin meets Aragorn after BOTPF. Aragorn holds his hand as Pippin excitedly tells him how he guessed it was Aragorn coming on the black ships.

Again, when I say "young", I don't mean like a little kid, I mean like a young adult. The human equivalent of, say, 18-24. *shrug* maybe Tolkien didn't intend that, but it sure is how I felt about their characters in reading the book.

[droidsocket]

How would you guys have liked it when you first sat down to Return of the King...and the role of Gandalf was played by a different actor!!!!

That in my mind would be horrible....it would have almost ruined the movie for me.....thats the way i feel about replacing Ian H.

Alot of you complain and bicker about how Bilbo was a certain age in the book....so heaven forbid that is different in the movie....

Well i hate to break it to you...but there were tons of different examples of diverting from the source material in the trilogy of movies......

And to be honest the hard core book fans are not the magority of the film fans....there are thousands of people that love the movies to bitts but have never read the books.....so to them...they dont care how old Ian H. looks....and neither do I!!

I say that if he can be convinced to make the Hobbit then its a done deal......if he cant or his health becomes an issue...then and only then do you recast the part.....

One of the reasons i love the movies so much is because of there consistancy from movie to movie......lets keep that the same for the Hobbit!

[Andrey83]

His health wont be a problem. They can always have a standin (Lee is 82!!! :) )

I just dont feel its right. I will never feel it i think. But thats me :)

[adt100]

I mentioned his health because of late I believe that is a problem, or at least has been recently. Christopher Lee's role in SW and LOTR have in comparison been very limited really, and you can't have stand-ins all the time.

Besides, that not real the issue. We all know that fans of the LOTR films are'nt solely book fans etc, but the point is that the film (if made) will of course make clear that The Hobbit and Bilbo's adventures take place many years before LOTR (the Prologue of FOTR itself even makes that clear!). That being the case, it would be pretty incongruous to all but the most short-sighted that having the same guy playing Bilbo 7-8 years or so older than when LOTR filming took place.

If he were 20 years younger to begin with then that wouldn't be an issue, but it is.

It's a moot point though because as I said earlier, I'm pretty sure Holm had ruled himself out of the role were it to arise.

[CrzyCanuck72]

Originally posted by adt100
It's a mute point

*moot*

[/anal]

[adt100]

:o

[Rizor]

I too would love it if Ian came back for the Hobbit, but I agree it's not very likely.

[Necross]

I would like him to do it but what I have been saying is I don't think his health will permit it and if they have to recast because of that fine. Thats all I meant.

[Drogobaggins]

With all of the age factors, I wonder who they would consider to play Bilbo. . .

[Brandalf85]

I dont know if anyones mentioned this but...in the FOTR actors commentary the 4 hobbits talk about Ian Holm and Dominic Monaghan mentions that his dad has been mistaken for Ian Holm like twice and Elijah comments "A younger version"....if so perhaps Doms dad would be able to do it? :)

[Samwise Gamwich]

Originally posted by HellaGood
I'm thinking.....Ashton Kutcher?? What about you lot?










(Joke)

OMG!!!!


AAAAARRRRGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

You have to be ****ting me right??

[Drogobaggins]

Don't EVEN joke like that, pleeeease. What a nightmare!