Actor John Rhys-Davies recently told Empire Online that he will not be joining the cast of The Hobbit to play the father of his character from The Lord of the Rings.
“Really I am not sure my face can take that sort of punishment any more,” he said in reference to the prosthetic makeup that turned him into Gimli son of Gloin — and gave him a severe allergic reaction that prompted him to ceremonially burn the mask after production wrapped.
Ian McKellen, who played the wizard Gandalf in the film trilogy, has made no secret of his plans to return for the prequel. Other performers who have the potential to cross over include Hugo Weaving as the elf lord Elrond; Ian Holm as the Hobbit himself, Bilbo Baggins; Andy Serkis as the miserable cave-dweller Gollum; Orlando Bloom as the royal father of elf warrior Legolas; and even Viggo Mortensen as a younger version of the ranger Strider, aka Aragorn.
Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth) is directing the two-part adaptation of The Hobbit, in which Bilbo goes on a quest to the Lonely Mountain with Gandalf and 13 dwarves, and along the way discovers the lost One Ring of Power that rises to such prominence in The Lord of the Rings.
Via SCI FI Wire
See also:
- Today there is peace in Middle-earth
- Tolkien estate prepared to derail ‘The Hobbit’ over money
- 71 years ago, we first met Bilbo Baggins
