Could Brian Cox play a dwarf?

While some of the roles in The Hobbit - like, say, Ian McKellen - are foregone conclusions, there are plenty of meaty characters left to play. And Brian Cox might be on the list to nab one of them.

According to Ain't It Cool, his name is emerging as a "major contender" to play one of the main dwarves in the film(s).

There a certainly some important dwarves characters in the book, so if he does take part - and for now, he needs to be listed strictly as a rumour - he could be in line for the likes of haughty leader Thorin or Balin, who helped Bilbo on his quest.

Cox is certainly a great thesp and the Hobbit team would be crazy not to offer him something. Here's hoping it turns out to be more than wild speculation.

[Source: AICN via Slash Film ]

Do you want to see Cox as a dwarf? If not, what should he play?

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.