Summary

• Lord of the Rings art humorously recasts modern action stars in iconic roles like Jason Statham as Gollum, imagining a different cast for the films.
• The original cast was praised for diving into their roles without previous fame, while modern stars like Dwayne Johnson and Tom Cruise bring mega star power.
• While imagining alternative castings is entertaining, the enduring success of Jackson's original cast is undeniable and unforgettable.

Lord of the Rings art recasts the movies with modern stars, including Jason Statham as a buff Gollum. Director Peter Jackson brought J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved fantasy novels to life in 2001, introducing audiences to Middle-earth through the epic saga of Frodo's journey to destroy the One Ring. Spanning a trilogy, the Lord of the Rings cast has become inseparable from their characters, such as Elijah Wood as Frodo, Sean Astin as Samwise, Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Liv Tyler as Arwen, Orlando Bloom as Legolas, Andy Serkis as Gollum, Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn, and many more.

Shared by @hammerstrike7 on TikTok, some Lord of the Rings art recasts the movies with modern stars, including Jason Statham as a buff Gollum.

Click Here To See The Slideshow On TikTok.

The images jokingly imagine Lord of the Rings "if Tolkien himself had been the casting director," and recasts the movies with many modern action stars, including Dwayne Johnson as Frodo, Tom Cruise as Sam, Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan as Legolas, Statham as Gollum, Tom Holland as Aragorn, and Ryan Gosling as Saruman. There are several other outlandish choices, such as Snoop Dogg as Gandalf and Lindsay Lohan as Arwen. The slideshow's description jokes, "Directed by Guy Ritchie," who has worked with Statham five times.

Guy Ritchie and Jason Statham movies include Revolver, Operation Fortune: Ruse De Guerre, Wrath of Man, Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, and Snatch.

How Would Lord Of The Rings Work Recast With Modern Stars?

Lord Of The Rings' Original Cast Had An Advantage

Though many elements of Peter Jackson's trilogy are held in high regard, the cast is a significant highlight. Unlike the modern Lord of the Rings recasting seen above, most of the actors in the trilogy were not major movie stars beforehand, even though many of them had notable filmographies. In contrast, Johnson, Cruise, and Khan are some of the biggest movie stars on the planet, who are mainly known for their roles in the action genre, including franchises like Fast & Furious, Mission: Impossible, and more.

Most of them weren't already big movie stars, allowing them to fully immerse themselves in their roles in Middle-earth and feel more believable for audiences.

One of the key reasons the Lord of the Rings cast was so effective in their roles is because the actors came with relatively little pre-existing reputation. Most of them weren't already big movie stars, allowing them to fully immerse themselves in their roles in Middle-earth and feel more believable for audiences. Nevertheless, it's intriguing to imagine how the franchise might have fared differently if it had featured major movie stars like Johnson, Cruise, and Khan.

In addition to being big stars, actors such as Cruise and Gosling are also very skilled, each having three Oscar nominations to their names (the former for Born on the Fourth of July, Jerry Maguire, and Magnolia, and the latter for Half Nelson, La La Land, and Barbie). Khan has also earned 14 Filmfare Awards, India's equivalent of the Oscars, so his portrayal of Legolas would certainly be unforgettable. Though it's intriguing to imagine how Lord of the Rings would work with modern movie stars, Jackson's castings remain enduringly successful and are seared into audiences' memories.

Can The Lord Of The Rings Cast Return In The Hunt For Gollum Movie?

Its Setting Is Still Unknown

The Lord of the Rings art, which features Jason Statham as a buff Gollum, comes on the heels of the recent announcement of the Lord of the Rings: Hunt for Gollum movie. The project will be produced by Jackson alongside his collaborators, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, whom he co-wrote the trilogy with. One of the original members of the Lord of the Rings cast, Serkis, is already confirmed to be returning to voice and provide motion capture for Gollum. Serkis will also direct the film, which is expected to arrive in 2026.

Though much remains speculation, the upcoming Lord of the Rings movie provides an incredible opportunity for original cast members and characters to return.

Other than the titular creature, it's unclear if any other Lord of the Rings characters will return in the Hunt for Gollum. Considering that much is unknown about the film, such as its setting, there are a host of possibilities. The film will likely be set before Frodo departs The Shire, as Sauron and Gandalf search for Gollum around this time, with the former seeking Gollum for his knowledge about the Ring, and Gandalf fearing that he may lead Sauron's forces to Frodo. In turn, this likely setting raises questions about actors from Jackson's trilogy returning to reprise their roles.