Elrond and Galadriel Returning for ‘The Hobbit’

MTV reports that apart from the long confirmed return of Ian McKellen as Gandalf, The Lord of the Rings cast members Hugo Weaving (Elrond) and Cate Blanchett (Galadriel) will grace the screen once again for the Guillermo del Toro-directed adaptation.

“Gandalf, being a 2,000-year-old wizard, is still around and plays a major role in ‘The Hobbit,’ and we’re having Ian McKellen reprise,” explained the filmmaker, who is executive-producing the flick and writing the screenplay. “There’s a couple of other characters: Elrond, who was played by Hugo Weaving [in the original films], and there’s a possibility of Galadriel, who was played by Cate Blanchett.”

The Hobbit‘s first part is set for release in December 2011, followed by its sequel in December 2012.