Martin Freeman is Bilbo Baggins in 'The Hobbit'

It's late in the day, but this is definitely the biggest news piece of today: the casting announcement for "The Hobbit." And yes, Martin Freeman ("The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy") will play Bilbo Baggins.

Also starring in "The Hobbit" are Richard Armitage (he will play Thorin Oakenshield), Rob Kazinsky, Aidan Turner, Graham McTavish, John Callen, Stephen Hunter, Mark Hadlow and Peter Hambleton.

"Despite the various rumours and speculation surrounding this role, there has only ever been one Bilbo Baggins for us," Peter Jackson said in a press release sent out by New Line Cinema earlier this evening.

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What? Guillermo del Toro drops 'The Hobbit'

To tell you the truth, I doubt we will ever see "The Hobbit" on the big screen. I'm joking, of course, but then again, the project has hit several bumps already. Now comes the big one: Guillermo del Toro is out!

Okay, he's not entirely out, but he told TheOneRing.Net he won't be directing the film ("The Hobbit: Part 1" is supposed to open in 2012). That said, del Toro will continue to work on the screenplays, that's for sure.

“After nearly two years of living, breathing and designing a world as rich as Tolkien’s Middle Earth, I must, with great regret, take leave from helming these wonderful pictures," del Toro told TheOneRing.Net.

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'The Hobbit' filming delayed, no green light yet

It now looks like Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro will have to delay filming for the upcoming epic adventure "The Hobbit." At least that's what Jackson said at a press conference for "The Lovely Bones."

So, what's going on? According to German site moviereporter.net, Jackson said they may have to push back filming from March 2010 to some time in the summer. Plus, they haven't received green light yet.

Jackson said the script for "The Hobbit: Part 1" is done, and right now, they are working on the second, which they hope will be done by the end of this year or the beginning of 2010.

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