Looks like there’s going to be another beardy face to remember among Peter Jackson’s hirsute cast for The Hobbit, as Billy Connolly has just been cast as one of the film’s many Dwarves.
Connolly will play Dain Ironfoot, cousin to Richard Amitage’s Thorin Oakenshield, and one of the most fearsome warriors in Dwarvish history.
Peter Jackson has suggested that Connolly will be the final addition to The Hobbit’s cast, insisting that the Scotsman has made his ensemble complete.
“We could not think of a more fitting actor to play Dain Ironfoot,” said Jackson, “the staunchest and toughest of Dwarves, than Billy Connolly, the Big Yin himself. With Billy stepping into this role, the cast of The Hobbit is now complete. We can’t wait to see him on the battlefield!”
We must admit, we’re rather excited to see Connolly assume John Rhys-Davies’ mantle as wise-cracking badass in chief. We’ll be able to see him swinging his axe when The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opens on 14 December 2012.
Source: THR
What do you think of Connolly's casting? Will he make a good Dwarf? Tell us, below.
Comments
FBJJohnson
Feb 9th 2012, 8:58
Genius casting! This will improve the film by at least 27%, no doubt.
Alert a moderator
skylaird
Feb 9th 2012, 10:48
Stephen Fry, Billy Connolly, that bloke out of the office as Bilbo - all the Hobbit needs now is Frankie Boyle as the voice of the dragon to cut down the Dwarfs with some scathing one liners about 'magic leopards' and the movie will be a proper comedy fest! Seriously though, The Hobbit is a lighter, more fairy-tale book than LOTR, and I think some comedy performers will bring a lightness of touch to proceedings that could be a bit iffy, if left to mere actors. Remember that Liam Neeson scene in Ricky Gervais's dwarf-based sit-com 'I really think I can do comedy?'
Alert a moderator
SiMan
Feb 9th 2012, 13:53
I haven't read the book in a while, so can't remember where Dain Ironfoot pops up, but i'm assuming its going o be around the 'battle of the five armies section', so are we not going to see the big Yin until the 2nd film in 2013?
Alert a moderator