Billy Connolly Completes the Cast of THE HOBBIT

Actor Bob Connolly will complete the cast of THE HOBBIT, it was revealed today.

“We could not think of a more fitting actor to play Dain Ironfoot, the staunchest and toughest of Dwarves, than Billy Connelly, the Big Yin himself," director Peter Jackson told The Hollywood Reporter. "With Billy stepping into this role, the cast of The Hobbit is now complete. We can't wait to see him on the Battlefield!"

Best known in the United States for his starring role in the popular 1980's sitcom Head of the Class, Connolly appeared in the X-Files sequel feature film X-Files: I Want To Believe and Boondock Saints II - All Saint's Day.

He also starred in the film Gulliver's Travels with Jack Black and Jason Segel, and has appeared on-screen with some of Hollywood's biggest stars including Dame Judi Dench in the prestigious art film Mrs. Brown, Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai, and Jim Carrey in Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.

THE HOBBIT AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY will open in theaters on December 14, 2012. The adventure fantasy stars Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Andy Serkis, Sylvester McCoy, Cate Blanchett, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Fry, Lee Pace, Aidan Turner, Dean O'Gorman, John Callen, Peter Hambleton, Graham McTavish, Ken Stott, William Kircher, James Nesbitt, Stephen Hunter, Mark Hadlow, Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, Mikael Persbrandt, Conan Stevens, Jeffrey Thomas, Michael Mizrahi, Benedict Cumberbatch, Christopher Lee, Orlando Bloom, Ian Holm and Elijah Wood.

THE HOBBIT follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.

Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever... Gollum.

Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum's "precious" ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities... A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

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