Considering that Peter Jackson's The Hobbithas been in production for nearly a year now (filming started on March 21, 2011), you'd think that they would be done with casting by now. The movie is already littered with great actors, including Martin Freeman, Ian McKellan, Andy Serkis, Richard Armitage, Cate Blanchett, Elijah Wood, Christopher Lee, Ian Holm, Hugo Weaving, Lee Pace, Orlando Bloom, Evangeline Lilly, Benedict Cumberbatch and Luke Evans, but apparently there was one role left to be cast and Jackson has filled it with a terrific choice.
THR reports that Billy Connolly has landed the role of Dain Ironfoot in The Hobbit. In the story, Dain is a great dwarf warrior who happens to be the cousin of Thorin Oakenshield, played by Armitage. Said Jackson about the casting, "We could not think of a more fitting actor to play Dain Ironfoot, the staunchest and toughest of Dwarves, than Billy Connelly, 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!"
While primarily known as a comedian, Connolly has taken parts in dramatic films before, including The Last Samurai, White Oleander and Indecent Proposal. The actor's next film is the Pixar adventure Brave and he also has a role in Dustin Hoffman's Quartet.
The article doesn't mention when Connolly will be heading down to the New Zealand set (he might be there already for all we know) or if he will be appearing in both Hobbit movies or just one. The first movie, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, is scheduled to arrive in theaters on December 14th, 2012, while part two, The Hobbit: There and Back Again, will come out almost exactly one year later on December 13, 2013. Based on the beloved book by J.R.R. Tolkien, the movies were scripted by Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and Guillermo del Toro. If you wish to learn more about the movie, head over to our Blend Film Database, where you can see the first trailer, images, and posters.
