[PaleStar]

As someone has probably said before, there shouldn't be that many A-List actors, the hearthrobs. Here are my choices;

Gandalf: Who else?; Sir Ian McKellan. There is no reason, other than if he's dead by then, that he can't be in it.
Bilbo: I'm going to go against some people and say Sir Ian Holm. He, at least to me, is the perfect Bilbo; he captured everything that Bilbo was. That, and I'm sure I can be playfully annoyed by Bilbo's whining in a movie theater.
Gollum: Andy Serkis. It's impossible to be anybody else. Though I would love to see him as one of the elves at Rivendell singing. That'd be so neat!
Smaug: Alan Rickman. I mean, come on; he's perfect. I can just imagine him saying; "you have good manners for a theif and a liar". He's the perfect Dragon, you might say. I don't know about Jeremy Irons; I guess he'd be good, but, I don't know; I'm imagining Scar instead of Smaug.
Smaug has to be CG. I don't know whether they'll act with the customary tennis ball and stick, or have some guy standing there. It's not like you can do mo-cap with a dragon; it has to be made up.
Sean Connery's already been a dragon; watch 'Dragonheart' and see for yourself.
Beorn: Robbie Coltrane. When I first saw him in Harry Potter, I was taken aback. "Geez...he looks like Beorn" I thought. And I don't think he'd have a problem playing Beorn; perhaps it'd let him show off some talent
Bard: A newer actor...not Viggo Mortenson, if that was ever suggested.
Gloin: John Rhys-Davies(sp?)
Thrandiul: Jason Issacs is a perfect choice. Perfect.

I can't think of anymore. And hopefully, there won't be any unneeded romance, though some cameos would be cool. The White Council would be a perfect begining, like a nod to the fans that they listened, but I think they're going to just start with Gandalf and Thorin meeting at the Prancing Pony.
I dearly hope they don't change much. They can literally make the movie exactly like the book, so I don't see why they won't.