Cinematical

But they aren't going to tell us who it is! Guillermo Del Toro spoke to Empire and revealed a few more Hobbit details. We can all breathe a bit easier because according to the director, it will be "at least a year before we announce any casting." So, this may be the last story you read on The Hobbit for quite awhile.

That doesn't mean they aren't hard at work trying to find the main hobbit himself. Says Del Toro: "We are writing based on [Ian Holm's performance], but other than that, we have ideas [of who could play him]. I can tell you that it's down to a few names that we all agree upon. And that our first choice ...completely, magically, we said the same name. All of us!"

Somewhere, there is an actor who has no idea he's in the running. And it is obviously not an unknown if the entire team came up with the same individual. Who are you, future Bilbo? My old pick was Martin Freeman, who I always thought resembled Ian Holm a bit, and could do befuddled really really well. Jamie Bell always ruled the day with my geek friends, but I think he's become a bit too chiseled for a hobbit. Let's hear your own picks. And toss out some impossible, mind-reading guesses as to who the LOTR team could have landed on. Remember, it will be the last Hobbit story you have for awhile -- especially if Christopher Tolkien wins his court case.