Maguire shoots down Hobbit rumours

Tobey Maguire is baffled by reports he's set to play the lead role in upcoming movie The Hobbit - because he hasn't been approached to discuss the part.

The Spider-Man star has become the latest Hollywood actor linked to the casting of Bilbo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings prequel.

Maguire was confused when he spotted online reports about his role in the film, and has dismissed the claims as "just not true."

He tells Access Hollywood, "I have not met or spoken to (director) Guillermo del Toro or (writer) Peter Jackson or anybody. Nobody has given me a script or approached me about it. Somebody actually sent me that link that said that I had a conversation with the director and it was just not true. I was wondering if maybe there was a miscommunication, I was talking about another director or something.

Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, The Office actor Martin Freeman, and The Last King Of Scotland's James McAvoy, as well as veteran rocker Tom Waits have all previously been linked to the film, which is due to start filming next year (10).

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