Cate Blanchett latest to join 'Hobbit' cast

By Adnan Tezer Dec 8, 2010, 20:42 GMT

Cate Blanchett, Ken Stott, Sylvester McCoy, Mikael Persbrandt, Ryan Gage, Jed Brophy and William Kircher have joined the cast of Peter Jackson's two-film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit."

According to Variety, the films are being co-produced by New Line Cinema and MGM, with New Line managing production, Warner Bros. Pictures handling domestic distribution and MGM distributing internationally.

Principal photography will begin in February 2011 with the first film opening December, 2012 and the second film opening December, 2013.

Blanchett will reprise her role from "The Lord of The Rings" trilogy as elf ruler Galadriel.
Stott will play the Dwarf Lord Balin; McCoy will play the wizard Radagast the Brown; and Persbrandt will play the shape-shifter Beorn.

Gage will play Drogo Baggins. Jed Brophy and William Kircher will play the dwarves Nori and Bifur, respectively.

They join a cast that includes Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, Richard Armitage, Aidan Turner, Rob Kazinsky, Graham McTavish, John Callen, Stephen Hunter, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, James Nesbitt and Adam Brown.

Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Carolynne Cunningham are producing the films, with Phillipa Boyens serving as co-producer and Ken Kamins executive producing.

Jackson, Walsh and Cunningham produced the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy.