Saoirse Ronan set for 'Hobbit' role

Irish actress Saoirse Ronan’s casting in ‘The Hobbit’ appears to have been confirmed.

The ‘Lovely Bones’ star has long been linked to the role of elf warrior maiden Itaril in the fantasy prequel and though she has insisted she has not had a formal offer for the movie, the film’s casting director Ros Hubbard says the 16-year-old star has signed on.