The first film of Peter Jackson’s trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, was released in 2001, i.e. already 20 years ago. We know almost everything about the films, since they’ve become a classic of fantasy and even the whole cinematography. But why don’t we fantasize about what the 3 films about life in Middle-earth would become if leading roles were played by other actors?
As you understand, a large number of well-known names claimed to participation in the project, and even the director himself, Peter Jackson, originally had other actors in mind for different positions.
Let’s see who could become Aragorn, Gandalf, Frodo and others, if things had gone differently.
1. Aragorn — Daniel Day-Lewis
Played by: Viggo Mortensen.
2. Elrond — David Bowie
Played by: Hugo Weaving.
3. Frodo — Jake Gyllenhaal
Played by: Elijah Wood (who turned 40 years on January 28).
4. Gandalft — Sean Connery
Played by: Ian McKellen.
5. Boromir — Liam Neeson
Played by: Sean Bean.
6. Éowyn – Kate Winslet
Played by: Miranda Otto.
7. Gimli — Warwick Davis
Played by: John Rhys-Davies.
Instead of The Lord of the Rings, the actor played Filius Flitwick and several goblins in Harry Potter franchise.
Just recently, we have explored a possible cast of the film series. Who might play Harry, Ron, Hermione and others instead of the ones who did it, you can see here.
8. Faramir — Ethan Hawke
Played by: David Wenham.
9. Bilbo — Anthony Hopkins
Played by: Ian Holm.
10. Galadriel — Nicole Kidman
Played by: Cate Blanchett.
11. Denethor II — Donald Sutherland
Played by: John Noble.
12. Saruman — Tim Curry
Played by: Christopher Lee.
13. Arwen — Helena Bonham Carter
Played by: Liv Tyler.
