Over the last year, we’ve made it a point to ask as many of the original actors from “Lord of the Rings” as possible to chime in with their opinion of the eventual “Hobbit” movie, and more specifically, to weigh in with whether or not they’d be game to re-enter the world of Middle Earth.
Sure, not all of their characters appear in “The Hobbit,” but with a second, transitional film that takes place in the years between the two novels, could we possibly see Aragorn, Frodo, Galadriel, and the rest back for another go round? To hear the actors themselves say it, the answer was a resounding yes.
Well, it’s time to put down the pipe weed, Viggo, dust off those ears, Cate, practice your archery Orlando, and get ready to walk around barefoot, Sean and Elijah -– you’re about to get asked to go “back again.”
“I want to be very clear about this. I am not going to recast any actor that is willing and able to work with us,” “recently announced “Hobbit” director Guillermo Del Toro told MTV News. “It would be my hope to bring back the same actors to play the parts. The casting on the trilogy was perfect.”
Does that mean he has no intention of re-casting Bilbo as well? Well, not exactly. For Guillermo’s ideas on who should play Bilbo, make sure you head over to Movies Main, where the talented director talked at length about his plans for “The Hobbit,” including chatter on Smaug, Riddles in the Dark, and more.
Then come back here and let us know where you think all the above characters fit in. Would you want to see Legolas at the Battle of Five Armies? How about Galadriel at the White Council? Will Aragorn run into Frodo one day while protecting the Shire? Sound off on your ideas below.
April 29th, 2008 at 1:09 am
I would love to see the actors back again in screen for The Hobbits.
Hope this will be a success.
I’m terribly missing LOTR once ROTK ended
April 29th, 2008 at 6:40 am
Those of you who have read the HOBBIT will already know this. There is an almost entirely different cast of characters than in the LOTR. Remember there is a 50 or so year gap between the two stories. The two dominate characters are Bilbo (in his 50)”hasn’t aged a day” and Gollum and definately Gandolf. Aragon and Galadriel could make an apperance.
The transitional or second film may show the adoption of Frodo as a child and Sam and the rest could show up.
I have waited years like a lot of you to see this film made as a non animated film. Keeping with Jackson’s frame work will be interesting and a challenge.
I will also be very interested in seeing how Jackson incorporated (if he does) material into the second film.
Go for it Peter!
April 29th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
I think Legolas should be at the drunken wine party at his Dad’s cave, and at the Battle of Five Armies.
I hope they show Aragorn (or was it Gandalf) capturing Gollum and leaving him over at Legolas’ house under guard.
And I think Sting would make an excellent Thranduil !
April 30th, 2008 at 5:38 am
did you read the article, john? peter jackson isnt directing the film. guillermo del toro is.
April 30th, 2008 at 6:39 am
I would be so happy to see Elijah and co back in Middle Earth! Ian McKellen and Andy Serkis are 99% on board. Big question; Ian Holm’s? I would be over the moon if he came back but would also understand if he didn’t. Can’t wait to see you all again in Middle-Earth!
April 30th, 2008 at 7:29 am
Fatty, PJ is still writing the movie(s) along with Fran Walsh and Pippa Boyens, so it would be up to them to reintroduce older characters. Gimli could conceivably appear as his father, Gloin, is one of the Dwarfs involved in the story and Aragorn and the elves are old enough. Possibly a younger Saruman, before he was seduced by Sauron could also appear?
April 30th, 2008 at 7:41 am
I concur with John. The Hobbit takes place well before LOTR. He said it best, there are only a few players that need to be the same. It is not needed to have Legolas, Aragorn, Dim, Frodo, Sam… If you want the big name actors in the film to sell tickets it will be very bad.
April 30th, 2008 at 8:28 am
It’s not like they’re going to have trouble selling tickets…
Also, please do not bring back Legolas! The only characters who need to come back are Gandalf and Elrond.
April 30th, 2008 at 8:38 am
The only characters from LOTR that need to be in The Hobbit are the ones that are actually in the book. Im talking Bilbo, Gandalf, Gollum & Elrond. At the moment I’m more interested who will play the other ‘new’ characters in The Hobbit. They should put more effort into getting them right then finding excuses for putting LOTR characters in at “appropiate” bits.
April 30th, 2008 at 9:13 am
I want Legolas and Aragon to be there it makes more sense and shows continuity to the LOTR. I would like to know how Legolas and Aragon met and this new movie could show that. Also it is an opportunity to see why Legolas was anti Dwarves in the beginning of LOTR.
April 30th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Where will it be filmed?http://moviesblog.mtv.com/wp-content/plugins/cryptographp/crypt/cryptographp.php
April 30th, 2008 at 9:33 am
The only character from LOTR that is not already in the Hobbit that can easily be added is Legolas as he would certainly be with seen with Thranduil. Aragorn is only 7 years old when the Hobbit takes place. They changed the time in the movie so that only 60 years passed between Bilbo finding the ring and Frodo leaving the Shire when in actuality Frodo stayed in the Shire for 20 years after Bilbo left making it 80 years. So if they go by movie time Aragorn would be 27 but when he was that age he wasn’t in Rivendell. So really the only character that could be added and stay true to the timeline is Legolas.(unless they show the white council and then yes Galadriel and Saruman would be there)
April 30th, 2008 at 9:44 am
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hobbit_screenplay/
April 30th, 2008 at 10:06 am
BOOK OF SWORDS!!!!! I’d love to see the original cast return for the Hobbit films, but when is someone going to make a film series of the BOOKS OF SWORDS by Fred Saberhagen??? This could be as big a blockbuster series as LOTR!!! The only problem might be that it would probably have an R rating, or high PG, due to the violent nature of the films subject matter, but I think the story is easily as good as LOTR if not better as it’s science fiction rather than pure fantasy. I heard mention of making a film adaptation of Empire of the East but not sure if this is true or not. If so I can’t wait!!!!
April 30th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Honestly, the only two that matter are the two Ians–Holm and McKellan–as their characters are teh only significant ones in both Hobbit and LOTR series. I think Holm may be just slightly too old to do Bilbo though.
And frankly if they start adding lots of characters from the series, this movie is going to suck. The whole point of The Hobbit is it’s a self-contained adventure story about a meek guy who becomes a cool cat, and doesn’t require the reader to be a big fan of Tolkein to understand or enjoy it. Because of this, it could be a huge hit if they don’t *$~@* up and ‘Trekify’ it.
April 30th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Including any characters from LOTR that aren’t specifically named or have memorable parts in the book would only serve as a distraction from the central story-line. The Hobbit is a thrilling and entertaining story and needless character and actor cameos will only cheapen it.
But, if Guillermo Del Toro so wishes it, they can be included in the extended version or out-takes.
April 30th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
I would be perfect to play as an extra in the movie. Not for the money but for the experience.
I need to fill up my IMDB Resume with more than amateur theater roles.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2991413/
Thanks
April 30th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again–Bilbo, in “the Hobbit” is not a teenager. He is, as others point out, in his fifties. The only actor that can appropriately play him already did in LotR–the very talented Ian Holme. The guy is perfect. If WETA can do Gollum, surely they can take Holme and digitally erase years from his face. This technique was done with Anthony Hopkins in “Red Dragon” (the Ratner remake) and also with Ian Mckellan and Patrick Stewart in the first scene of X-Men 3. I hope “the Hobbit” does the sensible thing and keeps the same actor if only for the sake of continuity. Ian Holme (italic) is (italic) Bilbo! I think casting Holme and giving him a digital facelift would be another groundbreaking move on Weta’s part. Just think of how many movies would bennefit from one actor playing a charcter over a long time instead of the limitation of casting two actors who simply look a bit alike. And a final thought: he’s not an actor, but Peter Murphy of the goth band Bauhaus would make a great Mirkwood King.
April 30th, 2008 at 12:49 pm
Ian Holme is Bilbo! Just let WETA do their magic and digitally deage him. It would be groundbreaking to let the same excellent actor play any role young and old.
April 30th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
What’s with the hating on Leggy? Thorin and company spend a long time in his Leggy’s father’s house. I can’t see why he wouldn’t be in the throne room scene or perhaps the person who captures them after the spider incident. It’s not like Leggy ever really gets any lines. He just stands around looking tidy and aloof.
April 30th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Ridiculous putting LOTR characters who WERE NOT in The Hobbit book into the movie. So, forget Frodo, Aragorn, and all the others who we all got sick of anyway, and start with new (and included in the original novel) characters.
April 30th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Ridiculous! How about they decide to stay faithful to the book this time around? I don’t see any reason for most of the cast to appear if not for monetary reasons, and I’m sure they will charge millions to be in it. The Hobbit is a damn fine book and they should trust that the storytelling is solid enough to sell the movie, even better than LOTR that tends to drag most of the time.
April 30th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Follow the book! Who needs all the extra people, especially since they’re not in it? I would watch it because it’s The Hobbit, not just because Viggo Mortensen or Orlando Bloom has a five-second cameo in it!
April 30th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
I Want LOTR 4
April 30th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
I woulod really like to see them possibly include Elladan and Elrohir in it somehow. They were the characters I missed most in LotR…at least people would know that Elrond had twin sons as well!
April 30th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Why should these actors have to play the same characters? Surely, with all the makeup and such needed to create the LOTR look for each actor, it wouldn’t be too difficult to have the actors be IN the film playing completely unrelated parts. John Rhys-Davies as one of the Trolls, or Viggo as one of the Lake Men… I mean, why assume that using the same ACTORS means having the same CHARACTERS?
April 30th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
ajkl;adfsjk;aerk;ngfzn;
May 1st, 2008 at 3:01 am
Guillermo Del Toro at the helm and the original cast back this not only sounds like BoxOfficeGold but also ACADEMY consideration. Del Toro is a master with the fantasy/horror genre (Pan’s Labyrinth, Blade 2, Hellboy 1&2) and is long overdue for some Academy attention.
May 1st, 2008 at 4:01 am
I think someone in here confused directors with producers. Yes, Del Toro is directing, but Peter Jackson is producing, so he will have his hands deep into how this movie pans out.
But I seriously hope they do not include random cameo’s from characters that do not pertain to this book for the sake of making a few extra bucks. Stick with the story and it should be fine. After Pan’s Labyrinth and the Orphanage, I have faith Guillermo Del Toro will do this movie justice.
May 1st, 2008 at 9:25 am
Especially for the second movie that covers the period between the Hobbit and the Fellowship of the Ring, Del Toro should definitely bring back the original cast. There is plenty of backstory in Tolkien’s appendices that tell exactly what characters such as Aragorn, Gandalf, Galadriel, Legolas and others were doing in those “in-between” years. The original casting was PERFECT, and I would love to see Viggo, Ian, Cate, Orlando et al reprise their roles.
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Would like to see Legolas being drunk in Rivendell that be hella funny hehehe
May 2nd, 2008 at 5:42 pm
I would love to see the original cast again. I know this idea is a little outside the box, but I think Dominic Monaghan could make a good Smaug. Andy and Ian M. are on board already, and I’d love to see Ian H. as Bilbo again, but I’m not sure how old he is, so that could possibly be an issue. I think Viggo Mortenson could make a very good Bard, but probably not since we’ve already seen him as Aragorn. John Rhys-Davies could make a good Beorn, I believe. I would also love to see Cate Blanchett back, although I’m not sure how they could work Galadriel into it, though I adore that character. And I also must say this: if they don’t at least give Legolas some kind of cool stunt in the battle at the end, I give up. I will not deny, I am very biased toward Orlando Bloom. But even setting that aside, I honestly think it would be to the movie’s benefit to include Legolas. In the LOTR movies, Mirkwood was mentioned once only in the scene with Frodo and Bilbo in Rivendell in FOTR. It is never explained where it was, who lived there, and what its significance was. I think it would help especially those who have not read the books to grasp a little better at the Mirkwood/Thranduil concept if they are able to make the connection between that and Legolas, a character who everyone already knows, if they could see him at least briefly in one of the Mirkwood scenes. But btw, and this is just my personal opinion on the matter, I highly doubt that they would have Legolas as one the the Elves who gets drunk. That would really contradict his actions in ROTK with the Drinking Game scene. He did not seem at all like the type who would willingly drink in excess, or really very much at all, for that matter. (Some people may not understand this as that scene was only in the Extended Edition.)
May 3rd, 2008 at 8:16 am
the movie will be not interesting if theres no legolas
May 3rd, 2008 at 11:44 pm
Can people get a grip? First - They are making TWO movies, The Hobbit and a transitional story which has been hinted at as being based on the ton of Tolkien notes and errata that can be fleshed out to fill in the gap between The Hobbit and LOTR. Second - Bilbo, Gandalf, Elrond are the only characters explicitly within The Hobbit, but many of the LOTR characters can and do take part in events within many of the notes of things that occur between The Hobbit and TFOTR. Third - WETA digital should be able to do some digital magic to make Ian Holm appear slightly younger should he be cast, and I hope he would be (as mentioned up-thread), but as others have noted we should also remember that Bilbo is not vastly younger than he appears as in TFOTR since the ring has stunted his aging.
May 4th, 2008 at 10:10 am
LEGOLAS,LEGOLAS,LEGOLAS,ORLANDOOOO BLOOMMMMM
May 6th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Legolas is a really good character to do in the movie but i think it is not really new to do Orlando Bloom onto it. And i think it is really nice if you put the attack on Dol Guldur by the council into the movie.
May 8th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Aragorn better NOT run into Frodo while he’s protecting the shire.