Oh, if that's what that's for, then that should kick all the ass on the planet. I've always wanted to know how that worked (or just more about "The Necromancer" in general)

While I don't think it is appropriate to add these characters, addin Aragorn would be particularly bad ...

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the one ring make Bilbo have a remarkably long life?

While you can have elves and wizards that were alive and (roughly) the same age in the Hobbit as they were in Lord of the Rings, how can you justify having Aragorn in the Hobbit?

Exactly. And even if Aragorn was squeezed into the film somehow, I doubt he would be portrayed by Mortensen.

I just don't think he would be able to pull off a very convincing ten year old.

Well Legolas' father is in it, so there's some sense in having his son beside him. There's more than just one elf Tolkien hadn't thought up yet when he wrote the Hobbit.

Having Frodo in only makes sense if an old Bilbo is telling him the story.

Rumour has that having failed to realise that the most fitting role for Elijah Wood in LoTR would have been Sauron's eye, Peter Jackson will remedy forging a new character for him in The Hobbit, called Bulbous Baggins.

In lord of the rings aragorn is 87 or something. Lord of the rings takes place 60 years after the hobbit. However gandalf travels for 17 years before he returns after telling frodo to keep the ring safe. This means aragorn would be 10 years or less during the hobbit timespan:p.

If it were just going to be a cameo appearance in Thranduil's court, it would actually be kind of neat, but this is Orlando Bloom we're talking about here. I doubt they're paying him the assload of money his agent demands just to stand in the background. And I doubt they're not going to make some tongue-in-cheek scene with Gandalf saying something along the lines of "I think we'll see each other again someday" and winking knowingly at the camera.

The Dol Guldur scene isn't exactly necessary either, but it gives a better explanation as to why Gandalf went lolbye on Thorin's group than "important wizard stuff". The addition of Legolas will do nothing to further the plot.

I had no idea they were throwing in freaking Frodo, too. Sheesh. Why not Gimli as well? He doesn't have anything to do with The Hobbit other than being related to one of the characters either, but at least John-Rhys Davies can act for shit.

Elves are known to be immortal , but the movie would probably have to explain that Dwarves live to an age of 250.

I don't know how old Gloin is, but it may as well be possible his son Gimli is among the Dwarven armies. I'd be really awkward though if Gimli and Legolas met each other :)

The news that really excited me was that it's going to be a 2 part movie.

In Italy and France we receive privileged first hand infos: Berlusconi and Sarkozy are hobbits. BTW I can give you another fresh news: Peter Jackson is a troll. Not big news, I know, it was already evident!