John Rhys-Davies shares the one condition needed for him to return in the next movie of The Lord of the Rings. The franchise is set to continue with The Hunt for Gollum, as Andy Serkis directs the project and reprises his role as the titular character. Ian McKellen is also returning to play Gandalf in The Hunt for Gollum and in another live-action The Lord of the Rings movie that is currently in development. With Serkis and McKellen back, there is room for other actors to return, which could include Rhys-Davies playing Gimli once more.

While speaking with Collider, Rhys-Davies revealed that he “might indeed” return to play Gimli, but only if CGI is used. He explained that he no longer wants to go through the extensive and time-consuming process of putting on the Gimli prosthetic and makeup that was used during The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Rhys-Davies also addressed some of the physical challenges involved with reprising the role. Check out his comments below:

Well, I’m known to not want to put that prosthetic on again, but out of deference to Andy, whom I love and admire and again who has grown so much, if they invited me…oh god could I dare to put on that make-up again and lose my skin? Maybe with CGI. Before when they asked me to do ‘The Hobbit’, for instance, I said no. No, not at all. Times have moved on and technology has moved on, if I don’t have to spend eight hours a day for three years of my life in a make-up chair, I might indeed do it. The other thing is physically I am no longer capable of putting eighty pounds of extra armor and stuff on and climbing up mountains.

What This Means For The Hunt For Gollum

Gimli Could Appear Despite Some Challenges

Aside from Serkis and McKellen, The Hunt for Gollum‘s cast remains unconfirmed, but Rhys-Davies is open to joining as long as CGI is used to create elements of Gimli’s physical appearance. Rhys-Davies delivered one of The Lord of the Rings‘ best performances and is a vital part of what made the trilogy such a success. Bringing Gimli back alongside Gollum, Gandalf, and other familiar characters could help generate excitement and potential success for the upcoming movie.

From a narrative standpoint, Gimli does not fit in as naturally as Gandalf or Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) do, as they are actively involved in the hunt for Gollum. However, as seen with the inclusion of Legolas (Orlando Bloom) in The Hobbit movie trilogy, familiar characters can be added to the story. Based on Rhys-Davies’ comments about being asked to do The Hobbit, Gimli was nearly added to the movies, even though he is not in The Hobbit book, and a similar approach could be taken with The Hunt for Gollum.

Our Take On John Rhys-Davies’ Comments

Gimli Does Not Have To Return As A Main Character

Rhys-Davies’ condition for returning to the franchise is understandable, especially now that more than two decades have passed since he last played the character. If Gimli does not appear, he does not have to be one of the main characters, and having him be part of the actual hunt for Gollum would not align with what is established in The Fellowship of the Ring. Depending on what the story is for the other live-action The Lord of the Rings movie in development, Rhys-Davies could also return for that project instead of The Hunt for Gollum.