Orlando Bloom says he would “hate to see anyone else” step into Legolas’ boots in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, adding that he has not been contacted about the project but remains eager to return. In a recent interview, the actor joked that “with AI they can do anything these days,” before stressing his preference to reprise the elf he played across the original trilogy and The Hobbit films.
His comments arrive as the new Middle-earth feature gathers momentum. Director Andy Serkis has said he is flying to New Zealand to begin preparation, with production eyed for 2026 and a theatrical release dated for December 17, 2027. The film is being produced by longtime franchise collaborators with a screenplay from Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens alongside Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou.
Set between the events of The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring, the story is drawn from Tolkien’s appendices and focuses on the perilous search for Gollum as forces on both sides of the coming war try to find him first. Serkis has framed the project as a return to the tone and world established in the earlier films while promising surprises tied to Gollum’s perspective.
Speculation about returning characters has intensified alongside Bloom’s remarks. Ian McKellen has expressed willingness to don Gandalf’s hat again, and other veterans have signaled openness if story and timing align, though no casting beyond Serkis has been announced. Bloom’s stance highlights a practical question facing the production: whether to reunite familiar faces from a 20-year-old ensemble or reintroduce key figures anew in a narrative that precedes the Fellowship’s formation.
