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The Lord of the Rings

Plot: Frodo Baggins and his hobbit buddies must embark on a perilous journey to keep a magical ring from falling into the hands of the forces of darkness.

Players: Elijah Wood (Frodo), Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee), Billy Boyd (Pippin), Liv Tyler (Arwen), Ian McKellen (Gandolf), Christopher Lee (Saruman)

Director: Peter Jackson

Status: Pre-production

Release Date: Christmas 2000 (for the first film of the trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring)

Latest Rumors: Ian Holm has joined the cast as Bilbo Baggins. Andy Sirkis will provide the voice of Gollum.  In an Interview magazine article, Elijah Wood confirmed that the script remains true to the Tolkien books. According to the producers, the diminutive size of the hobbits is being achieved through CGI and by altering the scale of the character's surroundings.

Inside Buzz: The closest thing you'll get to a sure thing since The Phantom Menace. The casting (and CGI shrinking) of the main characters is risky, but could ultimately prove to be a great idea.