Mortensen, McKellen and Serkis all in talks for Hobbit roles

It's great that Guillermo del Toro and Peter Jackson are both on board for the upcoming Hobbit features, but what about everyone else involved with The Lord of the Rings? For the most part it looks like they're just as excited about the feature as everyone else. Two key roles, and one perhaps-ancillary one, are in talks to be filled with the same actors as in the original trilogy.

“I am all for keeping the actors who originated the parts, as much as availability and their willingness will allow,” del Toro said recently. Variety notes that Viggo Mortenson, Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis are already discussing their returns and it seems more than likely things will work smoothly. McKellen had previously told Empire magazine that he "spoke to Guillermo in the very room that Peter Jackson offered me the part and he confirmed that I would be reprising the role. Obviously, it’s not a part that you turn down, I loved playing Gandalf.” Serkis hinted at his role in the movie by adding The Hobbit to his website calendar for 2010.

A bit more surprising was the announcement about Mortenson returning to play Aragorn. Not because of any rumors about del Toro looking elsewhere, but rather because Aragorn isn't actually in The Hobbit. This may hint at the direction its sequel will take, perhaps focusing on the material from LOTR's appendix that centers on Aragorn's relationship with Arwen.

Casting notes weren't the only news about who would return for the film. Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens are now said to be working on the script, under the "direction" of Jackson. "We will all be involved in the script in some fashion but the exact definition is about a week away, " noted del Toro.

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