Amazingly,
EW says yesterday's story in the consistently unreliable British tabloid
The Sun, that
Martin Freeman had turned down the chance to play Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit so he could reprise his role of Dr. Watson in BBC's surprisingly ok show Sherlock - was actually true. And not only that but the former Office star could astonishingly still take on the famous Hobbit role as New Line and MGM have gone back to him with a revised and improved offer - a seven-figure sum that will allow Freeman to fit his time as the super sleuth sidekick around his New Zealand adventures. If true (and I'm still skeptical, despite the more reputal source) - then the situation has changed dramatically since that
grave doomsday panel at Comic Con where The Hobbit looked D.O.A. and the constantly up-and-down changing fortunes of the film are on the up-rise once again. If Peter Jackson & his team are indeed putting offers to actors then it means MGM's awful financial predicment must be coming to something of a close and thank goodness, quite frankly. Sherlock is due to film for twenty weeks beginning in January, and last we heard (when The Hobbit was on finer footing) the two-epic LOTR prequel would begin filming in December for at least 18 months. So in that case - either The Hobbit will wait until early Summer to film (and the 2012 release date changing), or Freeman will be allowed a MASSIVE break from The Hobbit with a start in three months still in tact.
Finally, after ten years of being that 'Brit actor with great potential' - Martin Freeman's big Hollywood break has come. Well, if all this is true - anyway. And we've only been saying he's perfect for the role for
three years now. If this is true - of course.