Stephen Fry joins the cast of The Hobbit

Speaking on his Facebook page, Peter Jackson has confirmed that Stephen Fry will be joining the cast of The Hobbit.

Fry will portray The Master of Laketown, the somewhat greedy and cowardly mayor of the town closest to the Lonely Mountain.

The master’s conniving civil servant, Alfrid, will be played by Ryan Gage.

Conan Stevens – who stands at an impressive 7ft – will be playing an orc named Azog.

Jackson also announced that the first shooting block has nearly been completed. He said: “We have a break in less than three weeks to get some editing and visual effects work done, plus prepare for very big scenes coming up…”