Q: As Frodo hasn't been born yet, does that mean you won't be in The Hobbit?

Elijah: Somebody actually asked me, "Would you want to play Bilbo?" No, I don't want to play Bilbo. That would be far too weird. Yeah, Frodo doesn't exist. He's not born yet. For awhile, there was talk of a bridge film that was being bantered about, with the notion that the second film that they would make would chronologically bridge the gap between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, so conceivably some of the characters could exist. But, I don't think that's going to happen now.

Certainly, if they found a way to make the character work, I would love to be a part of it, but I'm just excited that they're doing it. I'm so excited that they're getting so many of the original team back together, creatively, because it's really I think going to help to keep the continuity of what was already established. I think it's going to be great. I love Guillermo del Toro. I think he's amazing.

Q: Do you think it will happen, given the Tolkien estate's current unhappiness?

Elijah: There's some talk of that. I just saw Peter Jackson at Comic-Con and, as far as he's concerned, it's full steam ahead. Technically they don't actually have a green light yet, which is funny because we're all talking about the movie as being filmed next year. It's not green-lit because they don't have a script yet. It's not finished. I think all of that business will start to occur in the next couple of months, and it remains to be seen whether that's going to be a roadblock for them or not.

Q: Their complaint is they haven't received a cent for the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Were you surprised at that?

Elijah: No, not at all. There was a prior lawsuit. I was surprised that it came back around again, just because it was news to me. I hadn't been following it closely. I followed the initial lawsuit that the family had issued, which I believed proved unsuccessful. This is their second time around. They want to use The Hobbit as leverage to stop them from making it, so they get paid. Who knows if it will work? There have been a few quarrels with New Line. That's nothing new.

Q: Do you ever get tired of fans talking about The Lord of the Rings?

Elijah: Really, honestly, I don't because it's an experience that I hold so dear, and I love those movies, too. And, not only that, but I also understand why people are excited about them. I've got plenty of stories. I could sit around and talk for hours, and I honestly don't get tired of it. I think I just have perspective on it. I know that, for the rest of my life, I'll be asked about it, and I accept that. I thank God that I'm going to be asked about something that I think is really genuinely great, for the rest of my life. It was a great experience. Only positive things came out of it, so people can ask about it all they want.