X17 News

LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett gave birth to her third child in her native Australia yesterday (April 13, 2008). Ignatius Marton Upton is the third son for Blanchett and her husband Andrew Upton.

A spokesperson for the Sydney Theatre Company, where Blanchett and Upton are co-directors, confirmed the birth saying that both mother and baby "are doing well."

Ignatius Martin weighed in at just under 8 lbs. His two brothers are Dashiell, 6, and Roman, 3.

LOS ANGELES, California (X17online) - Cate Blanchett has just signed on to reprise her role as Galadriel in Peter Jackson's highly anticipated The Hobbit films.

Blanchett's character appeared in all three of the Lord of the Rings films as the Noldorin princess who gave shelter and gifts to the keepers of the Ring.

"Cate is one of my favorite actors to work with and I couldn't be more thrilled to have her reprise the role she so beautifully brought to life in the earlier films," Jackson exclaimed.

Jackson is gearing up to begin shooting the back-to-back pics in February after the studios reached a settlement with the New Zealand government. New Zealand labor laws were changed in exchange for keeping the films production in the country.

The first Hobbit film is said to be released Dec 2012, the second Dec 2013.