All Hail King Billy!

Funny man and Scottish legend Billy Connolly has been hard at work with not one but two major movies out this year and one more in the making!

With the impending release of the new Disney/Pixar film, Brave, Billy Connolly is gearing up for a busy year full of red carpets and smiling for the paps! He voices King Fergus in the movie and has many the hilarious line! The film also features the talented voice of Kelly MacDonald (The Decoy Bride) as King Fergus' daughter Merida - the protagonist of the film.

He is also currently wrapping up filming on The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey set which is due to be released on the 14th of December 2012. After a rocky start, with filming being cancelled and then restarted, the film is set to be a blockbuster. Also starring is the Sherlock duo Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins and Benedict Cumberbatch as Smaug. Lord of the Rings veterans Hugo Weaving, Ian McKellan, Andy Serkis, Orlando Bloom, Ian Holms, Christopher Lee, Cate Blanchett and Elijah Wood are all back for a little bit more Middle Earth drama! Other major Middle Earth stars include Richard Armitage, James Nesbitt, Stephen Fry and Evangeline Lily. Further excitement was stirred when it was announced that Connolly's character Dain Ironfoot, the great dwarf warrior, will return for the second instalment of the film; The Hobbit: There and Back Again.

Both films are set in Middle-Earth about 60years prior to where J.R.R Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy begins. The official press release revealed that; "The adventure of 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 from the fearsome dragon Smaug."


The two parts are being filmed back to back and are currently in production in New Zealand. Director Peter Jackson has reprised his role after the success of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy and he also serves as producer and co-writer. Also, the composer Howard Shore, who was responsible for the beautiful score of the trilogy has also returned to the set of Middle Earth to bring more spectacular music to our ears.

Personally I think that The Hobbit duo could very well be more successful than the LOTR classics. But then again... I do have an odd crush on Martin Freeman (yes, even as a hobbit - judge me at will!)

Brave release date 22/06/12

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey release date 14/12/12

The Hobbit: There and Back Again release date 13/12/13