Hugo Weaving Rules Out Return to Middle-earth

Actor Hugo Weaving, renowned for his role as Elrond in Peter Jackson‘s iconic ‘The Lord of the Rings‘ and ‘The Hobbit‘ trilogies, has confirmed that he has no intention of returning to Middle-earth. Despite the announcement of new ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies, Weaving has expressed a clear lack of interest in reprising his beloved character.

In a recent interview with GamesRadar+, Weaving reflected on his involvement in the franchises, stating, “Personally, I’ve had enough of that.” He elaborated on his decade-long experience of filming in New Zealand, indicating his satisfaction with the time he spent on the project, but remarked, “I don’t imagine anyone would ask me to do it again.”

Weaving’s comments come in light of the revelations that a prequel, part of a fresh batch of ‘Lord of the Rings’ films, is in development. While some of his former co-stars have shown enthusiasm about possibly returning, Weaving stands firm on his decision, mentioning, “Elrond is meant to be immortal and I’m aging.”

The elven character, portrayed by Weaving, is notable for appearing across J.R.R. Tolkien‘s extensive literary works, including ‘The Silmarillion’, ‘The Lord of the Rings’, and ‘The Hobbit’. Reflecting on his experience, Weaving mentioned the challenges of returning to the role as he ages, “Even when we went back to reshoot certain parts of ‘Lord of the Rings’, I was aware I was older than before.”

Despite the success of these films, Weaving has no regret leaving them behind. He was involved in ‘Mortal Engines’, another project by familiar collaborators including director Peter Jackson and writer Fran Walsh. However, the film did not meet expectations. “It was going to be their next big franchise, but it died on its arse,” remarked Weaving.

While Weaving has opted out, Andy Serkis is confirmed to return in ‘Hunt for Gollum‘ both as actor and director. This new project, part of the newly announced ‘Lord of the Rings’ films, is among the few with known details and is slated for a 2026 release. Meanwhile, the animated film ‘The War of the Rohirrim’ is set for release this December, adding further excitement to Tolkien’s universe adaptations.