Lord Of The Rings Icon John Rhys-Davies On What It Would Take For Him To Return As Gimli In The New Movie

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As a lifelong Lord of the Rings fan, I find myself eagerly anticipating every new piece of content that comes our way from Middle-earth. The recent announcements about the upcoming live-action film, The Hunt for Gollum, have only served to heighten my excitement. And while I’d love to see the original cast return to their iconic roles, I understand the challenges they face, especially given their advanced ages and the physical demands of the films.

Fans of “The Lord of the Rings” series have been enjoying a feast of content lately, as the franchise has been delivering new material consistently. Besides Season 3 of “The Rings of Power,” there’s also an upcoming live-action film set in the timeline of the original movie trilogy. Given this excitement, it’s no surprise that many are curious about the possibility of the original cast returning to their roles. Now, John Rhys-Davies has shared his conditions for a comeback, and they seem quite reasonable.

Andy Serkis’ “The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum” is poised to be the first live-action Middle-earth movie since the third installment of “The Hobbit” trilogy in 2014. In a conversation with Collider, John Rhys-Davies, famously known for his role as Gimli in the original trilogy, hinted at the possibility of returning to the series. According to Rhys-Davies’ remarks, while he isn’t completely against revisiting the franchise, there’s one aspect of the work that would need to be altered for him to consider it:

To be honest, I’ve grown accustomed to not wearing that prosthetic again, but if Andy, who I deeply respect and appreciate for their growth, were to invite me…oh boy, would I dare to don that makeup once more and compromise my natural skin? Perhaps with CGI. Previously, when they asked me to take on ‘The Hobbit’, I declined. Absolutely not. Times have changed and technology has advanced. If I’m spared from spending eight hours a day for three years of my life in a makeup chair, I might consider it. Additionally, I can no longer bear the physical strain of adding 80 pounds of additional armor and climbing mountains.

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At present, John Rhys-Davies, now 80 years old, has revisited the world of The Lord of the Rings since the original films, frequently providing his voice for various projects and even portraying Gimli once more in the “Return to Moria” video game. In essence, it appears that much like several of his fellow cast members, he has no qualms about reprising his character. However, given his current age, the workload might be too strenuous for him at this stage.

It’s common knowledge that the original trilogy was strenuous for the cast, a point echoed by comments from Raiders of the Lost Ark veterans and earlier discussions by some Lord of the Rings cast members about injuries they endured on set. Advancements in filmmaking have made prosthetic processes less challenging now, but the increased use of CGI has left actors like Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf, feeling somewhat detached from J.R.R. Tolkien’s fictional world compared to when the initial three films were created.

Even though it hasn’t been confirmed, I’d be optimistic about fans eagerly wanting John Rhys-Davies to rejoin the production. Whether this happens remains uncertain, but we’ll find out in time. As of now, no release date for The Hunt for Gollum has been set, nor has a cast been announced. Here’s hoping that Andy Serkis’ character will be accompanied by Rhys-Davies or other familiar faces in the future.

As a gaming enthusiast, I’d highly recommend you don’t miss out on “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” – an animated film set to hit theaters on December 13, 2024. If you can’t wait that long, you can always catch up with the original trilogy by subscribing to Max and streaming it in the meantime.

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2024-11-19 05:37