Peter Jackson Finally Announces ‘The Hobbit’ Cast

Amid disputes over where The Hobbit movies will be shot, Peter Jackson and the executives behind film have announced the cast for the anticipated two-picture tale.

They say Martin Freeman (far left) will play hero Bilbo Baggins and Richard Armitage (immediate left) will portray Thorin Oakenshield, the leader of the Company of Dwarves.

Jackson said in a statement Thursday that Freeman is “exactly like Bilbo and I feel incredibly proud to be able to announce that he is our Hobbit.” He called Armitage “one of the most exciting and dynamic actors working on screen today.”

No stranger to audiences of anticipated big-screen adaptations, Freeman starred in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and has had memorable turns in Love, Actually, Hot Fuzz and is currently starring as Dr. Watson in the BBC’s popular new “Sherlock Holmes” television series (which can be seen in North America on PBS’s long-running Sunday night staple Masterpiece Theatre.) On the other hand Armitage is pretty much an unknown property to audiences outside of Britain, but after starring in numerous well-received UK television productions (“Spooks”, “North & South”, “Robin Hood”) and with a co-starring role in Captain America on the horizon, that’s likely to change in a hurry.

Other actors joining the ensemble cast are Aidan Turner, Graham McTavish, John Callen, Stephen Hunter, Mark Hadlow and .

The Hobbit, based on the J.R.R. Tolkien novel, began production in New Zealand earlier this month. The films are set for release in December of 2012 and December of 2013.