'The Hobbit' Gets Two New Stars

Courtesy of New Line Cinema

Two more names have been added to the cast of Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: James Nesbitt and newcomer Adam Brown.

Nesbitt is set to play a dwarf named Bofur.

Says Jackson in a statement, "James’s charm, warmth and wit are legendary as is his range as an actor in both comedic and dramatic roles. We feel very lucky to be able to welcome him as one of our cast."

Brown will play Ori, another dwarf who fights the infamous dragon, Smaug. "Adam is a wonderfully expressive actor and has a unique screen presence. I look forward to seeing him bring Ori to life," Jackson says .

They join recently announced co-stars Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage (soon to appear in Captain America: The First Avenger), Aidan Turner (Being Human), Rob Kazinsky (EastEnders), Graham McTavish (Secretariat), John Callen (TV’s Power Rangers Jungle Fury), Stephen Hunter (All Saints), Mark Hadlow (King Kong) and Peter Hambleton (The Strip).

Meanwhile, Sir Ian McKellen, who plays Galdalf, tells Broadway World he has not yet signed a contract to appear in the next film. "I am not under contract, no." he says. "I’m not going to say any more than that because it might complicate things! So, I would say - at the moment - no, I am not under contract."

The Hobbit films are currently in pre-production and will be released in December 2012 and December 2013. They're being co-produced by New Line Cinema and MGM, with New Line managing production, Warner Bros Pictures handling domestic distribution and MGM distributing internationally.