Could a Hobbit star be announced at Comic Con?

Rumour has it that the identity of the actor taking on The Hobbit will be announced by Peter Jackson at the San Diego Comic Con next week.

The LA Times' Hero Complex blog is hearing whispers that thanks to Jackson's first-ever live appearance (he's tended to send videos from the set of LOTR and King Kong before) to promote District 9, he could also be bringing Hobbit news.

So who is in the hotspot to play Bilbo Baggins for Guillermo del Toro right now?

Like a good marriage, it's something old, something new, something borrowed and something... Who?

Let's see then - old: James McAvoy, who has been touted for ages (and still seems to be a front runner).

Standing in for something new and also borrowed is Harry Potter himself, who is likely too busy playing the boy/teen wizard to nab the part. And chances are he's too closely identified with the role for now to play another genre icon.

And as for Who? David Tennant. It seems pure coincidence that the soon-to-be-former Timelord is attending for Dr Who (and the bigger rumour there is that he might be announcing a Who movie).

But while he's less likely than, say, McAvoy, he'd be great in the role.

We'll be sure to report from the Con next week should an announcement be made, and don't forget to follow the TF Twitter feed, as we'll be tweeting like crazy...

[Source: LA Times ]

So which of those could you see as Bilbo? Or do you have a better idea?

James White is a freelance journalist who has been covering film and TV for over two decades. In that time, James has written for a wide variety of publications including Total Film and SFX. He has also worked for BAFTA and on ODEON's in-cinema magazine.