Martin Freeman still up for The Hobbit

Despite not yet receiving an official green-light, or even a director to replace to Guillermo del Toro, casting for The Hobbit is moving forward. Sylvester McCoy is currently negotiating to portray one of the wizards that will be featured in the film, but the biggest question is, who will portray Bilbo Baggins? One name that has been thrown into the mix is Martin Freeman (Hot Fuzz).

It was rumored the actor wouldn’t be able to portray the Bilbo, and had to decline due to scheduling conflicts for a BBC series, Sherlock Holmes. However, Pop watch is reporting that Freeman is still in negotiations for the part. New Line and MGM have approached Freeman about a new schedule that would allow him to star in both projects. Negotiations are still underway, and it’s uncertain when a deal could be made.

While we still haven’t gotten an official announcement from MGM about the films, this seems to indicate things are progressing smoothly. MGM’s financial issues have been the primary issue on the films getting delayed, but Spyglass Entertainment has recently been working out a deal to free the studio of those problems. A director has yet to be signed, but talks are pointing to Peter Jackson again. Production is apparently still scheduled to begin in January.