Just days afterIan McKellenhinted at the possibility of reprising his iconic role as Gandalfin the upcomingLord of the Ringsfilms, his co-starOrlando Bloomhas thrown his name into the ring as well. The actor, best known for playing the elf Legolas inPeter Jackson’soriginal trilogy, expressed his excitement aboutreturning to Middle-earth in a recent interview with Variety.
“Oh, man, those things are amazing,” Bloom said when asked if he’d be interested in coming back to the Tolkien franchise. “Yeah. I don’t know how they’d do it. I guess with AI you may do anything these days. But, if Pete says jump, I say, ‘how high?’ I mean, he started my whole career.”
The newLord of the Ringslive-action films, set to kick off in 2026 withLord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, will be directed byAndy Serkis, who will also reprise his role as Gollum/Sméagol. The project hasJackson on board as a producer, alongside his long-time collaboratorsFran WalshandPhilippa Boyens. According to Warner Bros., this film will serve as the starting point for a new wave ofLord of the Ringsfilms.
Who Else Will Return for ‘The Hunt for Gollum’?
While specifics about the plot ofThe Hunt for Gollumremain scarce, fans are already speculating about which original cast members might return. Bloom’s enthusiasm about the potential reunion adds fuel to the fire. However, like McKellen, Bloom remains in the dark about the exact details.
“I really don’t know what [they are planning].I did speak to Andy [Serkis] and he did say they were thinking about how to do things.I was like, ‘How would that even work?’ And he was like, ‘Well, AI!’ and I was like, ‘Oh, OK!’ It was a pretty magical time in my life, and it’s one of those things where there’s not a downside to it.”
McKellen, who has played the iconic wizard Gandalf in bothThe Lord of the RingsandThe Hobbittrilogies, made headlines earlier this month when he revealed he’d been told Gandalf would be part of the upcoming films.
“I’ve just been told there are going to be more films and Gandalf will be involved, and they hope that I’ll be playing him. When? I don’t know. What the script is? It’s not written yet. So they better be quick!”
With anticipation building and some of the franchise’s biggest stars eager to return, the road to the nextLord of the Ringsepic is already paved with excitement. Fans will just have to wait and see who else might answer the call to journey back to Middle-earth. Stay tuned for more.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.
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