Now that The Hobbit looks like it will actually happen, it's time to once again talk about the film's casting. And it appears Sir Ian McKellan will most definitely return as Gandalf. He is quoted in The Guardian as saying that he would be "very pleased" to return to the iconic role, which he played in the three Lord of the Rings movies. He also stated that he will do it regardless of whether or not Peter Jackson is brought back to direct the "prequel". In fact, McKellan claims he has received Jackson's blessing to do the film without him. And so the actor said that if he's physically capable of playing the character, he will certainly do so. Of course, he hasn't officially been asked to return, let alone cast, in The Hobbit. But surely he will be offered the part, right?

Obviously, he must be cast. Aside from the fact that he's iconically associated with the character, McKellan was even recognized with an Oscar nomination for playing Gandalf in The Fellowship of the Ring. But the main reason for McKellan to return -- and I'm sure he recognizes this, as does Jackson -- is for the fans. Some fans will be extremely disappointed if Jackson doesn't direct The Hobbit, but nearly all of the fans should boycott the film if the production goes with a new cast. It will be hard enough accepting someone other than Ian Holm playing Bilbo Baggins, which could very well happen since Baggins is much younger in the earlier story of The Hobbit than in the LOTR trilogy. But if Jackson didn't come back to direct, the film could end up in the hands of Sam Raimi, who we can assume would do the project justice by casting McKellan. Yet despite the new healthiness of The Hobbit, we still can't be sure it will happen very soon. So, if for some terrible reason McKellan isn't "functioning," as he says, who could possibly be considered to replace him? Michael Gambon, perhaps?

It seems only fair to give a little background on my opinions about the Harry Potter series, books and movies, so you'll know where I'm coming from when I tell you why I liked the fifth movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I've read all the books by J.K. Rowling (except the seventh, of course, due later this month) and have enjoyed them overall -- but my least favorite was the fifth book, the one on which this movie is based. I thought it was at least 100 pages longer than it needed to be, and I grew irritated with the overload of Sullen Teen Syndrome from Harry. You have no idea how relieved I am that the movie successfully eliminated many of these difficulties, to the point where I found it an improvement on the book.

I've also seen all the movies, most of which I liked well enough but found unmemorable, with the exception of the third movie (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban), which had better character development. Yes, I am firmly in the "Alfonso Cuaron rocks" camp, as opposed to the "Chris Columbus needs to return" camp. The previous movie, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, seemed so rushed and crammed in an effort to condense a thick book into a single movie that I didn't have high hopes for this film. Fortunately, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was able to pare down the storyline to its essentials without making me feel like we were missing anything critical.

• Breakfast On Pluto - The Crying Game writer-director Neil Jordan never really does get into why Patrick “Kitten” Braden becomes a transvestite, but he does manage to save his film from being a rote and self-indulgent celebration of uniqueness when he bobs and then weaves a political cry (for Irish independence) into it. The criminally attractive Cillian Murphy plays Kitten a little too much like Mrs. Doubtfire, though he does sustain the character, and an incredible glam-packed soundtrack helps create an energetic sense of time and place.
• Deep Blue - While not as stunning as the likes of Winged Migration or March Of The Penguins, this BBC-produced nature film sure is pretty to look at. With a calming, minimalist narration by Pierce Brosnan (supplanting Michael Gambon's from the UK release) and a dreamy score by George Fenton, the underwater photography is stunning. The beast-on-beast violence is a bit intense, with one hapless sea lion meeting his end when two orcas play hacky-sack with his mangled corpse (in slow-motion, no less).