Chat transcript with "The Hobbit" creators

Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro, co-creators of the upcoming film adaption of Tolkien's The Hobbit, participated in an online chat last weekend with fans of the LOTR films and books. The chat is lengthy and detailed, but you can read it here.

Though filming on the upcoming movies doesn't even begin until next year, the two filmmakers are beginning the process of writing the scripts. Among the highlights I gleaned from the chat:

• Of the second film being made which will bridge the events of The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring, del Toro said this: "Unequivocally, every single actor that originated a role in the Trilogy will be asked to participate and reprise it." This comment assumes that they find a way to tie in these characters, but it's encouraging to think that we may see some of our favorite LOTR characters on-screen again (Jennie, your crush on Legolas may soon be rekindled...)
• Obviously, it won't make sense to have the elderly Ian Holm reprise his role as Bilbo Baggins for a story that involves a much younger Bilbo (although Holm may appear in the second film); the filmmakers are mum about which actor they would like to see play the younger Bilbo. Rumors on the web are saying that James McAvoy (Atonement, the first Narnia movie) is a front-runner.
• Guillermo del Toro has some really interesting ideas about Smaug, who you might remember as the talking dragon from the final third of the book. While he didn't come right out and say that Smaug will actually have an audible voice, he did say that Smaug will speak (unlike Peter Jackson's version of Shelob the spider, who was voiceless in the film). I can't wait to see what he has in mind.

It was nice of the two men to take some time to show some love to the fanbase that made their previous films such successes. I hope that they'll keep the communication open throughout the film-making process. In the meantime, we've got until 2011 before we'll really get to see how they will interpret The Hobbit. I can't wait!