Scottish actor James McAvoy has denied reports he is to take the lead role in the new movie version of Lord Of The Rings prequel The Hobbit. J.R.R. Tolkien's novel is set to be turned into a major blockbuster under the direction of Guillermo Del Toro and filming is due to begin in New Zealand later this year . McAvoy was reportedly favourite to take on the lead role of hobbit Bilbo Baggins - while Sir Ian McKellen will reprise his role as Gandalf . But McAvoy denies he has been approached by producers for the project. He tells TheCelebrityTruth.com, "I'm a huge fan of the Tolkien saga, everything to do with Middle Earth. But no, there's no truth in the fact that they've approached me yet."