Anyone speak Elvish?

Viewers will have a problem understanding the elves in the $360 million Lord Of The Rings trilogy when they speak in their own language.

The solution, according to Sir Ian McKellen, who plays the wizard Gandalf in Peter Jackson's production, will be English subtitles when the dialogue is in Elvish.

Sir Ian said Gandalf's accent would sound a bit like the recorded voice of Lord of the Rings author J.R.R.Tolkien.

Hobbits Frodo, played by American actor Elijah Wood, and Bilbo, played by British actor Sir Ian Holm, would sound like "middle-class gentry."

Actor Billy Boyd would keep his Scots accent for the Hobbit Pippin. And American actor Sean Austin would have a West Country English accent for Sam.

- NZPA