By Leo Stiles
Rumours are flying once again that the two biggest films in development hell, The Hobbit and Bond 23, might be heading to production soon.
The culprit for this week’s Hobbit rumblings is none other than Gandalf himself, Ian McKellen. The beardy one let slip to The Bolton News that filming will start on the fantasy epic as soon as January, something which was lent credence last week when Sherlock actor Martin Freeman reportedly had to turn down the role of Bilbo Baggins, due to scheduling conflicts with the hit BBC TV show. No casting for the film has been confirmed beyond McKellen but the fact that Peter Jackson is now actively looking to fill key roles is certainly a good sign
Bond also saw some movement this week with director Sam Mendes pulling out of talks on a number of directing gigs including children’s fantasy, The Hunger Games. Mendes had been set to helm the newest Bond flick before studio MGM pulled the plug due to its ongoing financial difficulties. With the director now clearing his slate once more, the hope is that both Mendes and Daniel Craig will be shooting the new 007 adventure by early summer 2011.
While any kind of movement on these films is welcome, holding your breath for either isn’t recommended. MGM’s financial situation is still precarious and suitable buyers for the ailing studio have yet to be found.
