Orlando Bloom joins 'Hobbit' cast

By Adnan Tezer May 27, 2011, 19:37 GMT

Orlando Bloom has joined the cast of Peter Jackson's two-film 3D adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit," reprising his role of the elf Legolas from "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.

According to Variety, shooting is underway in New Zealand.

The "Hobbit" films are being co-produced by New Line Cinema and MGM, with Warner Bros. Pictures distributing.

Warner Bros. and MGM announced in January that Warners will handle worldwide distribution on the films, handling the international distribution and home video on the films in exchange for funding MGM's half of the production costs.

The first film opens December, 2012 and the second film opens December, 2013.

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

Walsh, Boyens, Guillermo del Toro and Jackson wrote the screenplays.

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

The cast includes Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, Richard Armitage, Aidan Turner, Rob Kazinsky, Graham McTavish, John Callen, Stephen Hunter, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton, James Nesbitt, Adam Brown, Ken Stott, Sylvester McCoy, Mikael Persbrandt, Ryan Gage, Jed Brophy, William Kircher, Stephen Fry, Ryan Gage and Conan Stevens.

Andy Serkis, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen and Cate Blanchett are also reprising their roles from the "Lord of The Rings" trilogy.