The Hobbit producer Peter Jackson has said that the only pre-cast part in the new films will be Gandalf, played by Ian McKellen.

With auditions beginning this week, Jackson told Heat Vision that "Apart from Ian McKellen... we are not really offering any roles to anybody until we've done a casting sweep."

Contrary to recent rumour, filming is still set to begin next April, and Jackson notes that they are not looking for big stars. "The star is Tolkien and the world he created," he said. "We are not under any pressure. We want to find the right people. “Casting someone to portray a hobbit is not as easy as you might imagine. They have to have a particular type of physical appearance and a sensibility. And the same with an elf or a dwarf. These are fantastical characters, but you've got to find the right people to play them, the right humans to translate these characters."