Enthusiasm from the original Lord of the Rings cast is fueling hopes for their return in the 2027 film The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt For Gollum. Responses from key actors like Liv Tyler, John Rhys-Davies, Sean Astin, and Orlando Bloom at AwesomeCon hint at a strong willingness to revisit Middle-earth in the upcoming Lord of the Rings movie. Tyler expressed her eagerness to relive the Lord of the Rings experience, and Bloom definitively stated his commitment to any Peter Jackson project.

While some, like Sean Astin, expressed a degree of hesitancy, the prevailing sentiment suggests that many original cast members are keen to participate, making the delay for The Hunt For Gollum more bearable. This bodes well for the film’s prospects overall and raises the exciting possibility of a significant reunion. The potential return of these beloved Middle-earth actors, however, hinges on addressing concerns about the film’s production and The Hunt For Gollum‘s place in the timeline, a factor that may influence their final decision.

The Lord Of The Rings Cast Makes Me Hopeful Most Of Them Will Return For 2027’s Movie

Key Members Of The Original Cast Would Give Anything To Return

The original cast of the Lord of the Rings movies have had varying reactions to the prospect of getting involved with The Hunt For Gollum — but, encouragingly, many of them seem enthusiastic. Original Lord of the Rings cast responses include Liv Tyler (Arwen), John Rhys-Davies (Gimli), Sean Astin (Samwise), and Orlando Bloom (Legolas), who spoke to ScreenRant‘s Joe Deckelmeier at AwesomeCon. Tyler said she would “do anything“ to have the Lord of the Rings experience again, while Rhys-Davies seemed interested as long as the lengthy prosthetic process is out of the equation.

Astin was more hesitant in his response, describing the increased pressure of playing the character now that he knows the impact his portrayal of Samwise has had on readers and audiences. Bloom was unambiguously on board: “If Pete says jump, I say how high?“

That these cast members not only have fond memories of the movies but are eager about further additions to the franchise and getting involved is very exciting. It makes me hopeful that most of the old stars will actually return for 2027’s The Hunt For Gollum, and that it will be a faithful continuation. Mainly, some of the actors want to know how the de-aging will work before signing on, especially because of previous uncanny valley effects like in the Hobbit movies. The project opens up future possibilities for even more people to reprise their iconic roles if this litmus test is successful.

The Hunt For Gollum Won’t Work With The Same Characters But New Actors

It’s Hard To Imagine Anyone Else Playing These Beloved Characters

Andy Serkis, the director and star of The Hunt for Gollum, has such an established rapport with the original actors that it would be incongruous to cast too many new actors as the core characters. Serkis has apparently pitched the project to his potential collaborators as taking place within the original storyline, which is arguably inseparable from the well-loved cast. Andy Serkis is amazing in Lord of the Rings, so him reprising his role as Gollum makes it seem even more out of place if new actors step in as his co-stars.

While Prime’s The Rings of Power has the creative freedom to establish distinctive reimaginings of characters in line with its prequel setting, as seen with Galadriel’s transformation into a warrior-commander and Elrond’s younger, more politically driven portrayal, The Hunt for Gollum aims to fill in the blanks of the Lord of the Rings story. This necessitates a greater adherence to the established characterizations and tone of the original trilogy, making the prospect of recasting the central roles particularly fraught.

There’s Still Uncertainty Ahead Of The Next Lord Of The Rings Movie

McKellen & Mortensen Still Aren’t Concrete Additions To The Project

However, the story of this movie is believed to follow Gandalf and Aragorn early in the Fellowship of the Ring narrative as they strive to capture Gollum while Sauron is trying to do the same. Concerningly, neither Ian McKellen nor Viggo Mortensen are yet confirmed to return. As they are so key to this concept, I hope more is being shared about the technology with all the actors so that they may feel reᴀssured about the feasibility of returning to the franchise.

The latest disappointing update on The Hunt For Gollum is a reported delay, but this may actually work in its favor in terms of casting. It means more time to have talks and get it right. The original trilogy is so dear to the main cast that they likely want to dispel any doubts before committing. Serkis, Jackson, Boyens, and the rest of the production team clearly know how important it is to take the appropriate amount of care on all creative decisions about the franchise addition of The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.