Once upon a time, it was Harry Potter, The Doctor, and that guy who helped out Idi Amin that were rumored for the main role in The Hobbit. Those names have all fallen away to the history books only to leave the true Bilbo Baggins – Martin Freeman.

Freeman was first propelled to our cultural conscious in the original version of The Office and since then has nakedly thrust himself in Love, Actually and carried a towel hitchhiking across the Galaxy. We reported last month that he was possibly out of the picture because of a scheduling conflict, but then possibly back in again, and it looks officially to be the latter.

According to The Wrap, he’ll act alongside dwarfs played by Rob Kazinsky, Aidan Turner, Graham McTavish, John Callen, Stephen Hunter, Mark Hadlow, Peter Hambleton and head dwarf Richard Armitage (as Thorin Oakenshield). Plus, Hugo Weaving, Ian McKellen, and Andy Serkis are all heavily assumed to be reprising their respective roles.

The casting here couldn’t be better.

What do you think?