It looks like Bret McKenzie is getting ready to head back to Middle Earth but not as Figwit, as his character was dubbed — after a fan said “Frodo is great … who is that?” — following his fleeting appearance in “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.” He later appeared again, ever so briefly, in “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.” As was reported last week, McKenzie was being sought out to return to the franchise and it looks like everything is signed, sealed and delivered, but he won’t be a Figwit this time around.
Say hello to your new Lindir, an elf of Rivendell and the latest character to join “The Hobbit.” He’s a very, very minor player in the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, a minstrel or musician of sorts who encounters Bilbo Baggins in “The Fellowship of the Ring” who sings to him his song of Eärendil, with Lindir unable to decipher which parts Bilbo or Aragon wrote (thank you internet).
But of course, Peter Jackson is expanding the realm of “The Hobbit” for his upcoming two-fer of films so it will remain to be seen how big (or not) McKenzie’s role is. But as the former star of “Flight Of The Conchords,” playing a musician should be no sweat.
The year-plus long shoot is currently underway with the first entry in “The Hobbit” expected to land in December 2012. And we’d wager there are more characters who will be announced along the way. [Variety]
