After Peter Jackson's trilogy in the early 2000s and The Hobbit a decade later, The Lord of the Rings will soon be back on film. Called The Hunt for Gollum, this new feature film with a still provisional name will see Andy Serkis return as Gollum, but potentially other actors. Ian McKellen has already been grilled on the subject, now it's Orlando Bloom's turn.
Orlando Bloom back as Legolas in The Hunt for Gollum?
Last May, Warner alerted fans of The Lord of the Rings: a new film directed by Andy Serkis, starring Andy Serkis as Gollum and produced by Peter Jackson is coming in 2026. Great news for long-time fans, with Warner clearly looking to create a film that delivers the same thrills as the original trilogy that has become a cult classic. A welcome move, especially considering the proposal made with The Rings of Power, whose second season failed to address the issues of season one.
The story proposed by the film is still unknown, as is its casting. One thing is certain, however: Andy Serkis is back. And while The Hunt for Gollumseems to want to resemble Peter Jackson's original trilogy, fans are wondering about a potential return of the original cast. At the microphone of Variety, it is Orlando Bloom, the interpreter of Legolas, who was recently questioned about a hypothetical return:
“These films are incredible“, explains Orlando Bloom. “I don't know how they would do it. I guess with AI you can do anything these days. But if Pete [Peter Jackson] tells me to jump, I'm like, 'How high?' He started my whole career.
“I really don't know what they're planning,” Bloom continues. “I talked to Andy [Serkis] and he said they were thinking about ways to improve it. I asked him how it would work. He said, “Well, AI!” and I thought, “Oh, okay!” It was a pretty magical time in my life, and it's one of those things where there's no downside.“
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With AI and special effects, almost anything is possible. Star Wars and Fast & Furious have even shown us that deceased actors can return to the screen, it's hard to know what Andy Serkis has in store for us. In any case, Bloom is ready to string his bow once again.But the actor who played the most accurate elf on the silver screen isn't the only one who shared his enthusiasm for returning to the universe imagined by J.R.R. Tolkien.
What about Gandalf?
Ian McKellen, Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, is also in the mix. But for the actor, time is running out:
“The enthusiasm for Lord of the Rings shows no sign of abating… I've just been told there's going to be more movies and Gandalf is going to be involved and they're hoping I'll play him,” said McKellen, now 85. “When? I don't know. What's the story? It's not written yet. So they better be quick.”
and Aragorn?
For his part, Viggo Mortensen, aka Aragon in the original trilogy, is waiting to look at the script before giving his answer:
“I haven't read a script,” explains Viggo Mortensen. “So I don't know. The storyline is the most important thing to me, unless I'm broke, have no money, and I'm lucky to get a job.”
For more information on The Hunt for Gollum, unfortunately we will have to be patient. The film is not scheduled before 2026 and water should flow under the bridge before Warner makes anything official. It remains to be seen whether the original cast will be back. For your part, would you like to see Mortensen as Aragorn, Bloom as Legolas and McKellen as Gandalf again, more than two decades after Peter Jackson's trilogy? Don't hesitate to answer us via the comments section just below.