HOBBIT UPDATE: Boy, Everybody's Almost Back! Now, Saruman's On Board, Too!

Well, well! Just when you thought things couldn't get any more incredible, dearests, check ye this out: Sir Christopher Lee is negotiating to return as Saruman the Black, whom we all booed furiously at in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Presuming that his good health holds up, Sir Christopher will indeed return, though I'm not sure how he'll figure in the saga.

Also, despite the fact that I can't as yet put me finger on it, methinks we may have all 13 members of Thorin Oakenshield's Company together. Based on TheOneRing.net's postings, here's who's portraying each of the members:

Graham McTavish as Dwalin
Kenneth Stott as Balin
Aidan Turner as Kili
Rob Kazinsky as Fili
Mark Hadlow as Dori
Jed Brophy as Nori
Adam Brown as Ori
John Callen as Oin
Peter Hambleton as Gloin
William Kircher as Bifur
James Nesbitt as Bofur
Stephen Hunter as Bombur

Richard Armitage, is of course, Thorin himself. (I think our good friend King Magni Bronzebeard of Dun Morogh and Ironforge will be especially happy about all 13 Dwarf roles being filled; I hear he's already in party mode himself about having recently being given the status of being an action figure! The Blizzard Store would, if memory serves, have the full details and stuff.)

So, we now have McKellen, Wood, Serkis, Lee and Blanchett back in the saddle for the Hobbit project. I'm sure you Mortals will now start dreaming of THAT POSTER: Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage and Martin Freeman in full costumed splendor as Middle-earth's Three Musketeers --- Bilbo, Thorin and Gandalf --- together, just the way you want them. Truth be told, I want it that way, too. Ah, me.