Peter Jackson's mammoth The Lord of the Rings trilogy is celebrating its twenty-fifth anniversary in 2020. The cast even had a dream reunion recently, from their respective homes, to reminisce and let the fans relive their favorite epic fantasy just one more time.
One of the reasons the trilogy attained cataclysmic success and has been watched and re-watched by generations of viewers is because the cast created magic; every character came alive on screen just how readers had imagined them in their minds, and some were even better. The LOTR cast was impeccable at the time, but one wonders how the ensemble would look if it was recast today, twenty-five years on, as a whole new crop of actors, most of them very versatile, makes their mark in cinema.
12 Legolas: Tom Hiddleston
Tom Hiddleston would be quite stunning as the incredibly agile elf. The actor broke into the mainstream with his role as Loki, the flighty brother of Thor, thus becoming an integral part of the MCU.
Hiddleston would be perfect for the role of the low-profile Legolas, and his millions of female fans worldwide would definitely go crazy if he were to pick up the bow and slash his way through orcs left, right, and center.
11 Gimli: Peter Dinklage
One of the most popular television shows in the last decade, Game of Thrones, pushed to the forefront a lot of names and faces that had been around for a long time but hadn't quite made it to the mainstream audience.
Peter Dinklage took viewers by storm as Tyrion Lannister and won various accolades including a Golden Globe and two Primetime Emmys. Nothing would be more intriguing to see him as Gimli, the Dwarf, quibbling sardonically with Legolas the entire time over their respective number of kills.
10 Boromir: Michael Fassbender
The firstborn of the Steward of Gondor was the only one in the Fellowship who fell prey to the Ring's lure. But flawed though he was, he was also a gallant warrior, and his death remains one of the most tragic in the entire saga.
Boromir was portrayed masterfully by actor Sean Bean but if we were to recast the character today Michael Fassbender's name would stand out. Fassbender has a penchant for slightly dark roles, he has an intense aura about him that would make him an ideal candidate for the slightly obsessed son of Gondor.
9 Éowyn: Florence Pugh
Several young actresses would fit in as Éowyn, but Florence Pugh comes to mind as someone who leaves a lasting impression.
Most recently seen as the youngest March sister, Amy, in 2019's Little Women--a role that got her her first Academy Award nomination--Pugh is a powerful young actress who would excel as the young Lady of Rohan who takes matters into her own hands when she is repeatedly thwarted from joining the men in the battlefield. One can easily imagine her walking away with the rare credit of killing the King of the Nazgül, in a story that is otherwise not particularly inclusive of women.
8 Arwen: Gal Gadot
Gal Gadot would be perfect as the mysterious, ethereal elf who was so deeply in love with a mortal that she decided to become one herself.
Arwen was also a valiant warrior and Gadot can channel her Wonder Woman when she is crossing the river with an injured Frodo and performing powerful magic to keep the Nazgül at bay. In fact, were the trilogy indeed being recast today, she might have been catapulted to real stardom--something Wonder Woman failed to achieve--with just that one role.
7 Galadriel: Marion Cottilard
Cate Blanchett killed it as Lady Galadriel, one of the most powerful elves in Middle Earth, and it's hard to imagine anyone else reigning over the Woods of Lotholorién.
Blanchett's Galadriel gave off a sense of magical mystique with her flowing hair and her calm, soothing voice. A breathtaking beauty, Marion Cottilard would be excellent in a role that requires her to be mysterious and compelling at the same time.
6 Saruman: Charles Dance
Veteran actor Charles Dance might be known to the world as Tywin Lannister, but his impressive repertoire of roles extends much beyond the scheming patriarch.
Whether as the demented Judge Wargrave in BBC's remarkable adaptation of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, or as Lord Mountbatten in the Netflix historical drama, The Crown, Dance excels in authoritative, slightly menacing, unsettling roles, and what is Saruman but sinister and shady?
5 Aragorn: Chiwetel Ejiofor
Unfortunately, Tolkien's epic lacked seriously in diversity, as did both of Jackson's LOTR and The Hobbit trilogies. But today in 2020, a major film franchise without a single racially diverse actor would be ridiculous, to say nothing of the extraordinary pool of talent that would otherwise remain untapped.
Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor has been proving himself in a vast variety of roles for over a decade now. Fans would remember him for acing the role of Solomon Northup in 2013's Steve McQueen film, 12 Years A Slave, garnering tremendous critical acclaim. Other than that he has appeared in a range of films, but might most popularly be known as Baron Mordo in Marvel's Doctor Strange. Ejiofor, with his calming, reassuring presence, would reimagine Strider in his own way, making it an absolute privilege to watch.
4 Gollum: Andy Serkis
One of the most fascinating literary characters of all time was the creature Gollum, lonely and conflicted, and of course, obsessed with the One Ring, which he had briefly owned at one point.
Gollum was probably one of Tolkein's most intriguing creations and immortalized for all posterity by actor Andy Serkis who voiced the tormented creature haunting the dark, deserted underground cave. Serkis left a lasting legacy with that role and to be honest, there doesn't seem to be anybody else who is good enough to play the part today. So Serkis it is!
3 Gandalf: Morgan Freeman
The grand ol' man of the LOTR has to be one of the most powerful and engaging actors that Hollywood has to offer. Sir Ian McKellan was undoubtedly the best choice for the role at the time, and although Freeman is possibly older than what McKellan was when he donned the pointy wizard's hat, he would still make an impressive Gandalf the Grey.
Gandalf was wise, knowledgable and had a curious sense of humor. It is easy to visualize Freeman waving his staff at a bunch of befuddled hobbits, and telling them they were brave little people, with his eyes twinkling all the while.
2 Samwise Gamgee: Daniel Kaluuya
Academy Award-nominated actor Daniel Kaluuya would be perfect as Samwise Gamgee, Frodo's pillar of strength and possibly one of the strongest characters in the whole of the LOTR.
Sean Austin was brilliant and endearing as the long-suffering Sam but Kaluuya would be reinventing the role, imbuing it with individuality. The young actor is already carving a niche for himself and stands out as one of the most promising in the new generation of actors.
1 Frodo Baggins: Timothiée Chalamet
Another very promising actor to have emerged in recent years is Timothieé Chalamet. Chalamet popped up on the film scene with the 2017 masterpiece Call Me By Your Name and was more recently seen as Laurie, in Greta Gerwig's interpretation of Louisa May Alcott's classic, Little Women.
Chalamet, in his characteristic introverted fragility, would make a great Frodo. The Ring-bearer was conflicted, having been forced by circumstances to embark on a quest that only he could complete. He is far from invincible, often succumbing to the obsessive hold of the Ring, yet he struggled to keep his sanity all the while. Chalamet would surely render the role with a lot of soul; he is also a beautiful man, much like Elijah Wood at the time.
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