Weaving Talks “Hobbit”

Elrond ponders his role in “The Hobbit.” 

I love Hugo Weaving, but not even his presence in “The Wolfman” would make me go to that movie. Give me a free ticket and I wouldn’t go. Plunk it on cable in front of me and I’d change the channel.

The good news about “The Wolfman,” though, is that it means that Weaving is out doing publicity, and luckily seems to be willing to talk about other things–such as “The Hobbit.” Hitfix got to ask Weaving a number of questions about the upcoming prequel to “The Lord of the Rings.”

Not many LOTR alum will get the chance to be in “The Hobbit” films; either they’re characters aren’t in it, or they’re too old to play the roles in the films, which take place years before “The Fellowship of the Ring” begins. As an elf, though, Weaving’s character Elrond can fit into the time scheme plausibly. So is Weaving locked in yet? He told Hitfix:

“…what I’ve heard is that, yeah, they’re interested in me.  I haven’t had any conversations, and I haven’t read any scripts because they’re being closely guarded.  I don’t think the studio has even got the second script yet.”

But if they do contact him…?

“I’d be interested in doing it.  I would love to work with Guillermo Del Toro very much.  I think he’s a fantastic talent, a great director.”

Good news, then! And how does he think playing the part would be different in a film set prior to the events in LOTR?

I think there’s a slightly more innocent quality to it ["The Hobbit"]… and it’s a slightly different world.  It’s the same physical world but the writer was at a different age when he wrote it, and he wrote it in a different spirit.  So you might be using some of the same actors and the same team but you might want to have a slightly different take on it and I think that would be pretty interesting.”

It sounds like Mr. Weaving is ready to pack his pointy ears and head for New Zealand. Unfortunately, that won’t be happening too soon. Production was rumored to start in late spring/early summer, but Weaving said he had heard that it wouldn’t begin until the end of the year. No one really knows what is true, yet, other than we know the films are happening–barring any bizarre, completely unforeseen events, of course. Yikes. Don’t even think about it.