Last we heard about Martin Freeman, he was forced to turn down a deal from MGM to play Bilbo Baggins in the possibly-never-happening adaptation of The Hobbit, instead working on his BBC series Sherlock Holmes where he plays Watson. The studio has offered to work around his schedule, but as of yet we've heard more. What's bizarre is that while he was willing to turn down The Hobbit, that doesn't mean he's shutting down his movie career.

Variety reports that Freeman has signed on to Animals, a film being described as "Donnie Darko meets Gus Van Sant," for first-time director Marcal Fores. Though very few details about the film are available, Freeman plays a school teacher and it's "a fantasy-laced coming-of-age tale." Shooting in Barcelona, Spain, Freeman will only be needed for six-to-seven days of the eight week shoot, which commences next Monday.

Freeman would be spending quite a bit more than a week shooting The Hobbit, so fans shouldn't think of this as a slight against Tolkien. In fact, because it's a fantasy movie, maybe he took the role to prepare. You know what that sound is? That's me starting a rumor. Enjoy.