Rob Kazinsky Leaving Peter Jackson’s THE HOBBIT

Pictured from left to right are: AIDAN TURNER, WILLIAM KIRCHER, STEPHEN HUNTER, JED BROPHY, JAMES NESBITT, MARK HADLOW, JOHN CALLEN, MARTIN FREEMAN (FRONT), PETER HAMBLETON, GRAHAM MCTAVISH, ROB KAZINSKY, KEN STOTT, RICHARD ARMITAGE, ADAM BROWN.

THE HOBBIT director Peter Jackson announced this morning that actor Rob Kazinsky has had to bow out of the film.

I am sad to report that Rob Kazinsky, who was cast in the role of Fili, is having to leave The Hobbit and return home, for personal reasons. Rob has been terrific to work with and his enthusiasm and infectious sense of humour will be missed by all of us. I should say that Rob’s departure will not affect ongoing filming of The Hobbit, nor will it impact work done to date, as we had yet to film much of Fili’s storyline. At the moment we are shooting scenes featuring Bilbo without the Dwarves, which will give us time to find a new Fili. I’ll keep everyone posted with updates as they come.

Cheers,

Peter J

In Mid-March, production commenced in Wellington, New Zealand, on “The Hobbit,” filmmaker Peter Jackson’s two film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s widely read masterpiece.

On Friday, Jackson remarked on the first video blog seen below.

One comment that came up from the recent video blog was the Bilbo voice at the end—many of you assumed it was Sir Ian Holm. Whilst Ian will be returning as the older Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit, that recording was actually Martin Freeman’s voice, taken from a script read through we recorded when the cast first arrived. I have to admit, I wasn’t sure who it was when I first heard it, either.

THE HOBBIT films are co-produced by New Line Cinema and MGM, with New Line managing production. Warner Bros Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television licensing being handled by MGM. The two films are planned for release in late 2012 and 2013, respectively.

THE HOBBIT is set in Middle-earth 60 years before Tolkien’s THE LORD OF THE RINGS, which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar-winning THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING.

The two films, with screenplays by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Guillermo del Toro and Peter Jackson, will be shot consecutively in digital 3D using the latest camera and stereo technology. Filming is taking place at Stone Street Studios, Wellington, and on location around New Zealand.

Check out THE HOBBIT’s Facebook page HERE, Peter Jackson’s Facebook page HERE and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Official Facebook Page HERE. Visit the official HOBBIT blog HERE.