Peter Jackson’s time in Middle-earth has not yet come to an end, and the original cast of The Lord of the Rings movies have revealed whether they would be willing to return to the franchise. In May 2024, it was revealed that a spate of new spinoff movies were in the pipeline, with the upcoming The Hunt For Gollum set to be the franchise’s first live-action movie since The Hobbit trilogy. While directorial duties on the franchise’s new film have fallen to Andy Serkis, Jackson is set to produce alongside Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens.

At this year’s AwesomeCon, ScreenRant’s Joe Deckelmeier hosted a panel with original Lord of the Rings cast members Liv Tyler (Arwen), John Rhys-Davies (Gimli), Sean Astin (Samwise), and Orlando Bloom (Legolas). Asked about whether they would be willing to return to the franchise for any of the future spinoff movies, the former co-stars had varying reactions to the possibility of reprising their characters. As the first to respond, Tyler admitted that she would “do anything to be able to see it again.” Check out her comments below:

Liv Tyler: I’d just do anything. I write to Fran [Walsh] and Philippa [Boyens] all the time. I’m like, “Hey, is there any chance we’re going to need Arwen back?” It was such a gift to our lives. It’s so hard to sum it up in words, but it was such a profound gift. I would do anything to be able to see it again, feel it again, but we live it in our hearts and our minds now.

Meanwhile, both Astin and Rhys-Davies were more circumspect in their responses, with the latter suggesting that while he would return, he would rather not have to don Gimli’s prosthetics again. Astin, however, was unsure how he could deliver a performance under the weight of the enormous expectations that would come with it. Check out their answers below:

John Rhys-Davies: [I’d do] anything as long as I don’t have to put that full prosthetic on again.

Sean Astin: The idea of doing Sam again… When we did it the first time, I had no idea what the relationship of the literature was to that character. To me, it was all about what we were doing and trying to understand the ideas; just connecting on an emotional level.

Now, after 25 years of having people come and talk about what it meant and how it helped in their life, how they got past a hard time and it brought their family together, and all of the millions of things that get said? I wonder what that would be like to try and go into a performance where you’re supposed to be centered and present and focused on what you’re doing, with that kind of [pressure]. I don’t know what that would be like.

As for Bloom, he said that while it would be impossible to replicate the original “magic of the moment,” he would be keen to play Legolas again for a third time, after previously being asked to reprise him for The Hobbit trilogy. Check out his comments below:

Orlando Bloom: I always think that if Pete says “Jump,” I say, “How high?” It’s funny because I think the elves go through so much of this world so many times because they’re ageless. I was in The Hobbit, and it was really interesting revisiting the world. It was so different from Rings as an experience. It was a beautiful time, but this idea of kind of going back is like… “Absolutely, who wouldn’t want to go back to that place?”

But, of course, the magic of that moment is not something that could ever be repeated. The time, the age, the place that we were at; the place that the universe, the world, the planet was at, is impossible to recreate. But I think the idea of playing these characters? Being in that headspace of Legolas is awesome. My ADHD is gone; I am focused. And that’s something that I would always embrace because it’s this crazy, meditative state of being all-knowing and all-seeing, which is such a cool feeling.

What These Comments Mean For The Lord of The Rings Franchise

Future Spinoffs Will Need To Address The Cast’s Age Difference

While fans of the original The Lord of the Rings movies may be keen to see the various cast members return for future movies, the time that has pᴀssed since the first trilogy was released may severely limit how such appearances can occur. Already, The Hunt for Gollum is expected to see the return of both Gandalf and Aragorn, though it is still unclear whether Ian McKellen and Viggo Mortensen will be returning to play them.

Though it has been suggested that Mortensen’s return will ultimately be dependent on the quality of the script, finding ways to manage the actor’s age difference will likely also be a major factor in deciding whether it is necessary to recast the role. While many fans would be keen to see the original Lord of the Rings cast reprise their characters, digital de-aging technology is still not an entirely seamless process and is often best used sparingly.

As such, it may well be the same use of prosthetics that Rhys-Davies is so keen to avoid that could potentially be the best method to ensure continuity for many of the original cast. Yet, while the actors for Gimli and Gandalf could easily hide their own age differences behind flowing beards and latex noses, this approach would not be viable for Tyler and Bloom’s elven characters.

The Hunt For Gollum’s Status Explained

What The Movie Will Be About & When It Will Release

Though an official logline for the movie hasn’t been released, Tolkien’s source material does provide some indication of the movie’s story. In Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring, there is a period of close to twenty years before Frodo leaves The Shire for Rivendell. During this time, Aragorn and Gandalf attempt to find Gollum to prevent the creature from sharing news of Frodo and the Ring with Sauron. This stretch of story is not included in Jackson’s adaptation of the story, but this is where Serkis’ film is expected to sit in the Lord of the Rings timeline.

The Hunt for Gollum was originally expected to bow in December 2026. It’s clear that the script for the film needs some more time in the oven, however, as Serkis revealed at Fan Expo Vancouver (via The Direct) in February that the film is now targeting a December 2027 release. Audiences probably shouldn’t expect filming to start until 2026, then, with this new timeline in place. The script is now seemingly the top priority, but it is possible that news regarding cast returns could emerge later this year as things start to get nailed down.

Our Take On Seeing The OG Lord of the Rings Cast Returning

The Hunt For Gollum Will Likely Set The Benchmark For Other Returning Characters

While The Lord of the Rings franchise could potentially see many original characters return for future adventures, The Hunt for Gollum will likely serve as a litmus test for how Warner Bros. could best approach this. Whether Jackson’s Wētā FX can avoid the uncanny valley effect that has defined so many other attempts at digitally de-aging recognizable stars remains to be seen, but if so, there is no reason that Tyler and her other co-stars could not continue to return for any number of future movies.

The Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings is a multimedia franchise consisting of several movies and a TV show released by Amazon тιтled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The franchise is based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s book series that began in 1954 with The Fellowship of the Ring. The Lord of the Rings saw mainstream popularity with Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.

Movie(s)

The Lord of the Rings (1978), The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim

Created by

J.R.R. Tolkien

First Film

The Lord of the Rings (1978)

Cast

Norman Bird, Anthony Daniels, Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Sean Bean, Ian Holm, Andy Serkis, Brad Dourif, Karl Urban, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, James Nesbitt, Ken Stott, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Morfydd Clark, Mike Wood, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Charlie Vickers, Markella Kavenagh, Megan Richards, Sara Zwangobani, Daniel Weyman, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Lenny Henry, Brian Cox, Shaun Dooley, Miranda Otto, Bilal Hasna, Benjamin Wainwright, Luke Pasqualino, Christopher Guard, William Squire, Michael Scholes, John Hurt

TV Show(s)

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Character(s)

Frodo Baggins, Gandalf, Legolas, Boromir, Sauron, Gollum, Samwise Gamgee, Pippin Took, Celeborn, Aragorn, Galadriel, Bilbo Baggins, Saruman, Aldor, Wormtongue, Thorin Oakenshield, Balin Dwalin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin, Nori, Dori, Ori, Tauriel, King Thranduil, Smaug, Radagast, Arondir, Nori Brandyfoot, Poppy Proudfellow, Marigold Brandyfoot, Queen Regent Míriel, Sadoc Burrows

Video Game(s)

The Lord of the Rings Online (dupe), Middle-Earth: Shadow of War, The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum, The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria

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