The Legolas actor says he’s open to returning to Lord of the Rings.
Earlier this year, Warner Bros. set the release date for the new, The Lord of the Rings film, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, and ever since fans of the franchise have wondered if stars of the previous series of films will return to Middle Earth for the new movie. While no details about the film have been released, either in terms of cast or story, one star is interested in coming back. Speaking with Variety, Orlando Bloom said he’d return to the franchise that started his “whole career” if asked.
“Oh man, those things are amazing,” Bloom, who played Legolas in The Lord of the Rings film series and again in The Hobbit film series. “I don’t know how they’d do it. I guess with AI you can do anything these days. But, if Pete [Peter Jackson] says jump, I say, ‘how high?’ I mean, he started my whole career.”
“I really don’t know what [they are planning],” Boom continued. “I did speak to Andy [Serkis] and he did say they were thinking about hot do things. I was like, ‘How would that even work?’ And he was like, ‘Well, AI!’ and I was like, ‘Oh, okay!’ It was a pretty magical time in my life, and it’s one of those things where there’s not a downside to it.”
Bloom isn’t alone in expressing interest in returning for The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. Gandalf actor Ian McKellen recently revealed that he has actually been asked to return as the iconic wizard, though timing and availability will determine if it actually happens.
“Enthusiasm for The Lord of the Rings shows no sign of abating … 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,” he said. McKellen, who is 85 years old, also acknowledged that the film is in early development stages and that if they want him involved, time is of the essence.
“When? I don’t know,” he said. “What the script is? It’s not written yet. So, they better be quick.”
Right now, the only person confirmed to be returning for the film is Andy Serkis. Serkis portrayed Gollum in The Lord of the Rings films and is set to direct and star in The Hunt for Gollum as well. The screenplay is being written by Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens along with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou. Off screen, Peter Jackson is returning to produce the film along with Walks and Boyens while Ken Kamins, Serkis, and The Imaginarium’s Jonathan Cavendish will executive produce.
“The Hunt for Gollum is a work-in-progress title. It may not end up being called that. It’s going to very much be the world of Middle Earth according to Gollum’s experience of it,” Serkis said previously. “It is so early… But I will say that it will be a deep dive where we investigate Gollum’s character. There may be characters that we recognize that might be coming back. I’m not going to say who.”
While Serkis has teased the potential for the returns of familiar faces from The Lord of the Rings films, there is at least one star who is waiting for more details before getting to interested: Aragorn actor Viggo Mortensen.
“I haven’t read a script,” Mortensen said. “So, I don’t know. The script is the most important thing to me unless I’m broke, I have no money, and I’m lucky to get any job.”
When asked how often he does choose a project for the paycheck, he added, “Lately, I’ve been lucky and it hasn’t for a while.”
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is expected to hit theaters in 2026.