Martin Freeman being transformed into Bilbo, McKellen returns, Jackson shoots with RED cameras

February is almost here and that means the scheduled start of principal photography on The Hobbit is nearly upon us. Several stories have started to leak forth over the past day or two. The first piece is that Martin Freeman has been fitted for hair, ears and hairy feet for his upcoming lead part as Bilbo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings prequel. He says in an interview for BBC News; "It€™s full steam ahead for me to look like Bilbo.€ Meanwhile, Sir Ian McKellen has updated his website all but confirming he will certainly be back as wizard Gandalf. No surprises on this one. He was always going to come back wasn€™t he? And finally, some techie news. Apparently Jackson is taking delivery on 30 RED EPIC cameras on which the entire 3D production will be filmed. These cameras have a 5k resolution (which is lots), are lighter than your average 3D camera and have 7 blades to give you an even closer shave. So, after all the false starts, changes in directors, strikes and other drama, it's finally getting there. Surely there will be no last minute hiccups now with shooting merely two months away?
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