Igqala umdlali Ian McKellen, osele esebenza kwi-trilogy ye "Nkosi yeRings" edlala iGandalf, ubhale kwiwebhusayithi yakhe eqinisekisa ubukho bakhe kwifilimu. "IHobbit", eya kuthi ekugqibeleni ikhokelwe nguPeter Jackson:
“Ndineminyaka engama-71 ubudala, ndisempilweni entle. Kangangonyaka okanye ngaphezulu, bendilungisa izibophelelo zam zobungcali ekwenzeni 'iHobbit'. Sasicinga ukuba i-New Zealand ekuqaleni kwe-2010, ndade ndadibana noGuillermo del Toro ukuze ndibone iskripthi inxalenye yokuqala, kodwa kwakukho ukulibaziseka. Ndikunye noPeter Jackson sele ephethe, ndahlala ndinxibelelana. Ngoku siyazi ukuba sizakuqala nge-21 kaFebruwari eWellington.