Recasting Lord Of The Rings For 2026 With Paul Giamatti And 8 Other Stars

Published Oct 6, 2026, 10:00 PM EDT

Karlis has been obsessing over television and movie news since he first learned how to read. He has worked in tech, as a musician, and in journalism with a well-rounded knowledge base of pop-culture throughout the eras. He claims that he has memorized the entire Internet Movie Database, and to date no one has been able to refute this.
Holding a Bachelor's Degree in Religion and Culture from Wilfrid Laurier University, Karlis loves to examine the intersections of popular science-fiction and culture. His latest novel MASS. is available now on Amazon and examines a world where obesity has become a federal crime.

Sign in to your ScreenRant account

Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings movies are likely to one day be remade, and it is curious to consider what kind of cast would fulfill the series' most iconic roles in 2026. With their fantastic world-building, strong characters, and excellent examinations of universal themes, the Lord of the Rings movies remain high watermarks in cinema's 21st-century canon.

With that considered, the films themselves are not perfect. Despite having some of the best quotes in fantasy movie history, the movies do shy away from much of author J.R.R. Tolkien's poetic verse and style from the original novels. The films also make several significant changes, including removing beloved characters like Tom Bombadil.

It would be hard for a Lord of the Rings remake to match the original films' quality, but there are ways to do it. Telling an animated version like the one seen in 2024's The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim could be an interesting approach for a new version of the stories.

Even so, the original films were so enormous and immersive that the live-action format might be the best possible way to tell these incredible stories. And with an updated cast of tremendous stars, a new version of The Lord of the Rings could be just as compelling and perhaps even better than the original movies.

Richard Madden As Boromir

Boromir needs to be Denethor's perfect son, and it is hard to imagine anyone better for the role than Richard Madden. The only problem with Madden's performance is that he has already done much of what is required here, especially with his role as Robb Stark on Game of Thrones.

Adding to this is his dark turn in Eternals in what would otherwise feel like a Superman-esque role. All things considered, Madden has already shown off the requisite skills needed for Boromir's complex journey. In addition, he is also believably kingly, heroic, and handsome, and could help to get viewers on Boromir's side before his ultimate fall.

Boromir is a hero who was tempted by the ring, and that caused his demise. But his story is tragic rather than villainous, and needs the right kind of strong, empathetic performer, like Madden, to help make his fall that much more impactful.

Noah Jupe As Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck

Noah Jupe is a huge up-and-coming star, and would be perfect as a new version of Merry in a Lord of the Rings remake. The young actor has shown some incredible dramatic range in films like Hamnet, and would do a great job taking on a central role in the new Fellowship.

Merry is wise and responsible, and requires a performer with some dramatic weight to take on the role. At 21 years old, Jupe is still quite young, but has already shown incredible skill in playing characters with incredible depth in projects like A Quiet Place and The Carpenter's Son.

Known for his work as a child actor, Jupe is only becoming a stronger performer as he heads into adulthood. His recent turn in the Hugh Jackman-starring The Death of Robin Hood makes it clear that he will be one to watch closely in the years ahead.

Paul Giamatti As Gimli

It might be difficult for such a well-known star as Paul Giamatti to disappear into a role like Gimli, but it is hard to deny that the Sideways star would be compelling in the role. The Oscar-nominated actor is a strong dramatic performer and would be able to bring significantly complex characterization to the beloved hero.

There would certainly need to be a lot of makeup or effects used to convincingly portray the Dwarf race in a Lord of the Rings remake, but the expressions and voice of Giamatti would go a long way in making a new version of Gimli memorable.

Funny, charismatic, and at the right age for the part, there are few actors who could do anything remotely close to what John Rhys-Davies did with the fantastic character. Giamatti would be the best bet for a fresh, new iteration that could still feel faithful to the source material.

Gabriel LaBelle As Peregrin "Pippin" Took

Pippin is a curious and impulsive hobbit who grows significantly over the course of the trilogy, and Gabriel LaBelle would be perfect to play a new iteration of the character. The Saturday Night star has the right look, style, and attitude for the role.

LaBelle broke through in The Fabelmans, where he showed incredible skill in crafting a multifaceted performance that leaned between heart, drama, and humor in a believable family saga. Much of that skill would slot perfectly into a story like this.

Pippin is supposed to be the youngest hobbit in the Fellowship but, just like how Billy Boyd was older than his hobbit co-stars, Gabriel LaBelle would be the oldest of the four listed here as well. However, at 24 years old, the actor still looks and feels young enough to convincingly take on the role.

Dan Stevens As Aragorn

Aragorn has already been recast with Jamie Dornan in The Hunt for Gollum, and this is a fantastic choice to play a younger version of Viggo Mortensen's iteration of the heir of Isildur. However, if taking a brand new approach to the series, Dan Stevens would be fantastic in the role.

Stevens has the right kind of rugged handsomeness, as well as great shades of virile masculinity. He is a versatile star who was just as strong as a noble heir in Downton Abbey as he was in his villainous turn in 2024's Cuckoo.

Stevens has great dramatic skills, and would do a fantastic job fulfilling the many facets of Aragorn's complex personality, tied into a believably inspiring leader.

Cooper Hoffman As Samwise Gamgee

Sam is the heart and soul of The Lord of the Rings, and he needs a strong and compelling actor like Cooper Hoffman to play him. After breaking through in 2021's Licorice Pizza, Hoffman has remained a consistent presence in Hollywood, starring in films like The Long Walk and I Want Your Sex.

More than anything, the 23-year-old Hoffman is incredibly likable every moment that he is onscreen. Following a performance like Sean Astin's in a role like this would be difficult, but Hoffman would be able to imbue the character with his own unique charisma.

Perhaps the most important character to cast well in the film, Hoffman would do a fantastic job as a new version of Sam, and would certainly be able to work as the emotional core of the new trilogy.

William Franklyn-Miller As Legolas

William Franklyn-Miller is a beautiful young star with fantastic, elf-like features, and would be the perfect choice to take over the role of Legolas. After starring in Young Washington as the nation's first president, he has also proven himself to have great dynamic range.

At 22 years old, Franklyn-Miller is the same age Orlando Bloom was when filming commenced on the original trilogy, and he has the same kind of heartthrob star potential.

With significant modeling history in his background, Franklyn-Miller has a very believable look for a character like Legolas, but also has the dramatic skills to pull off the complexities of the role.

Miles Caton As Frodo Baggins

Frodo is a quiet role that needs to be filled with an enormous amount of personality, and this is exactly what Miles Caton really showed off as Sammie in Sinners. The young star would be the perfect center of the new Fellowship, bringing a really unique new texture to the world of Middle-earth.

Caton is a strong, burgeoning star, and it is only a matter of time before he becomes a household name. Casting him in a role like this would be the perfect opportunity to add fantastic talent to this project.

Gary Oldman As Gandalf

Ian McKellen's Gandalf featured such a fantastic and iconic performance that it is difficult to imagine another star taking on the part. And while actors like Mark Rylance and Liam Neeson would be interesting picks for the beloved part, it is hard to imagine a better fit than Academy Award winner Gary Oldman.

Oldman is a fantastic star with an incredible amount of range. He has shown stoic fatherliness in roles like Jim Gordon in The Dark Knight, powerful pomposity as the villain in The Fifth Element, and wry and funny strangeness in stories like Slow Horses. Gandalf contains all of these at once.

While other stars could certainly pull off this beloved The Lord of the Rings role, few could jump between Gandalf's various shades with such skill as Oldman. If a remake of the films ever occurs, he should be considered at the top of the list for the old, grey Istari.