After 25 years of umming and ahhing the big screen version of The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy is finally happening.  The principal cast has been officially anounced, the crew have been hired, sets have been built, locations have been scouted and shooting starts next week, on the 19th April 2004, at Elstree Studios.

The confirmed cast so far are:

Arthur Dent: Martin Freeman (The Office , Hardware)
Ford Prefect: Mos Def (The Italian Job 2003)
Zaphod: Sam Rockwell (Galaxy Quest, The Green Mile)
Trillian: Zooey Deschanel (Almost Famous, Elf)
Slartibartfast: Bill Nighy (Love Actually, Shaun of the Dead )
Mr Prosser: Steve Pemberton (The League of Gentlemen)
Body of Marvin: Warwick Davis (Return of the Jedi, Leprechaun)

Austin Powers director Jay Roach was originally lined up to direct the movie but fortunately, in our opinion, the job has now been given to a young British director, Garth Jennings (pictured top left kneeling alongside Wicket the Ewok).  Roach will still be involved in the role of producer.

The screenplay has been "tidied up" by screenwriter Karey Kirkpatrick based on one of several drafts, written by original Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy author Douglas Adams, before his untimely death in May 2001. Shooting is expected to last until August, including some location work in Wales, with the film pencilled in for a Summer 2005 release.