Days after Ian McKellen expressed interest in returning as Gandalf in Peter Jackson's new live-action “Lord of the Rings” films, his co-star Orlando Bloom adds his name to the list.
Orlando Bloom was paid $175,000 for the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy (2019)
When asked by Variety if he'd be interested in returning to the Tolkien franchise, the Legolas actor said, "Oh man, those things are amazing. Yeah. I don't know how they would do that. I think with AI these days, you can do anything. But when Pete [Peter Jackson] says jump, I say, 'How high?' I mean, he started my whole career."
The new Middle-earth films will kick off in 2026 with “Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum,” directed by Andy Serkis, who will reprise his role as Gollum/Sméagol. Original franchise director Jackson is on board to produce alongside his partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. The plan is for that film to kick off a new live-action “Lord of the Rings” series.
"I really don't know what [they're planning]," Bloom added. "I talked to Andy [Serkis] and he said they were thinking about how to do things. I thought, 'How would that even work?' And he said, 'Well, AI!' and I said, 'Oh, okay!' It was a pretty magical time in my life, and it's one of those things where there's no downside."
