Mike Fleming

BREAKING: Richard Armitage, who plays Dwarves’ leader Thorin Oakenshield in the Peter Jackson-directed The Hobbit, will move over to star in another New Line film. He’ll topline the untitled tornado film, the one that originally was set up under the title Category 6. Armitage has an accomplished resume, and was particularly good as tragic agent Lucas North in the British series MI-5.

The Walking Dead‘s Sarah Wayne is also starring, making this a very Comic-Con-centric film. Steve Quale is directing John Swetnam’s script. Todd Garner is producing. Alycia Debnam-Carey also recently joined the film, which follows a group of high school teens dealing with the aftermath of a devastating tornado. Armitage, who also appeared in The First Avenger: Captain America, is repped by WME and United Agents.