The Lord of the Rings is back at the forefront of fantasy news, thanks to news of an eventual return to Middle-earth via remakes of the popular film series.
Warner Bros. is under a harsh microscope, as fans consider whether or not they’re even interested in getting a remake. The original trilogy is still hugely popular, but a new take on the story could give some ignored J.R.R. Tolkien characters a chance to shine. Several fan-favorite characters have yet to see a live-action adaptation, and Tolkien diehards can’t help but be tantalized by the opportunities a reboot could present.
It’s not just fans who are excited, either. A staple of the original trilogy recently reacted to the idea of a return to Middle-earth with clear excitement, ramping up interest in WB’s reboot even more.
With her current popularity among viewers, the new project could even include Jenna Ortega. She’s certainly not attached to any Lord of the Rings content at the moment, but she’s clearly stretching her wings as an actress. Ortega was reportedly happy to make changes to the Wednesday script when she felt certain lines or plot points didn’t suit her character, and we think any fresh project could use exactly that kind of protective gumption.
Plenty of Lord of the Rings characters didn’t make the original cut
Longtime fans of the Lord of the Rings books are well aware of how many changes Peter Jackson made to the source material. His films are still lauded as stellar adaptations, but Jackson made the once-controversial decision to exclude characters like Tom Bombadil and Túrin Turambar from his early 2000s flicks. A new attempt at J.R.R. Tolkien’s timeless story could give these characters a fresh chance at the spotlight, and fans would be delighted to see a few select characters make the cut.
Jenna Ortega was happy to alter the Wednesday script
She’s all but guaranteed to maintain her role in Netflix’s Wednesday, so Jenna Ortega is happy to share the nitty-gritty details of her time on set. The 20-year-old actress recently revealed she was “unprofessional” while on set for the popular series, and consistently made changes to the script. A number of lines and scenarios in the original version reportedly made “no sense” for the character of Wednesday, and Ortega put her foot down on several occasions, demanding minor changes to her characterization.
Andy Serkis would join any Lord of the Rings reboot in a heartbeat
Andy Serkis, who played Gollum across the Lord of the Rings films, is reportedly on-board with the idea of remakes. The talented actor noted he would “jump at the chance” to return to the wonderful world he helped define, and added that “Middle-earth has never left me.”
Should he return, Serkis could take on a range of characters, including Gollum, if the project was right. Anything set after Lord of the Rings obviously couldn’t include the now-deceased character, but Serkis could easily bring an earlier iteration of the character — or a completely different Tolkien brainchild — to life in WB’s releases.
Published: Mar 9, 2023 10:00 pm