As if there was ever any doubt about the involvement of the major players from The Lord of the Rings series, but Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis (Gandalf and Gollum) certainly held out, but they will reprise their roles in Peter Jacksons The Hobbit.

Martin Freeman has been on board since day 1 and former Doctor Who Sylvester Mccoy also having a role. Frodo himself Elijah Wool has also signed which is something of a mystery as Frodo is never mentioned in The Hobbit, what with this being a prequel to the Rings Trilogy, clearly Jackson is taking some artistic license.

The film has had a troubled pre-production with copyright issues stopping production for many years, and a loss of original director, but with Jackson on board and the continuing cast list 2012 will be a great year for fans of the Tolkien world.