Credit: New Line Cinema via MovieStillsDB
Published Aug 31, 2026, 8:56 PM EDT
Felipe Rangel is a Movie and TV Journalist ScreenRant. He has been writing about movies and TV since 2021. Felipe joined ScreenRant in 2022, working across different teams, covering everything from breaking news to features to reviews and more.
Felipe is a writer who is an avid film and TV fan, with superhero movies and series being his biggest passion. He graduated from college in 2019, having studied Journalism. Before college, he spent a month studying at the Oxford English Centre. His superhero knowledge expands to the comics, with his undergraduate thesis being "Politics Reflected In American Comics."
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The Lord of the Rings is one of the biggest movie franchises of all time, and if the Peter Jackson movie series started in 2026, its cast would have been made up by an exciting mix of established stars and up-and-comers. In recent years, major fantasy franchises have started to participate in the age of reboots and recasts.
HBO will turn back the clock for a Harry Potter series with mostly new cast, while Disney+ has started fresh with Percy Jackson, and the upcoming The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping recast key roles with younger actors.
The Lord of the Rings franchise might not have yet started to develop any movie reboots or remakes, but it has expanded on the small screen with the Prime Video TV Show The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Major characters from the movies, such as Elrond, Galadriel, and more.
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⚔QuestsThe hero’s journey
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01
Across the Harry Potter films, the boy wizard is rarely without his loyal companion — a snowy owl gifted to him by Hagrid on his eleventh birthday. What is the owl’s name?
AHedwig BErrol CPigwidgeon DCrookshanks
✓ Correct! Hedwig — the snowy owl Harry receives in The Philosopher’s Stone — becomes one of his most beloved companions. Errol is the Weasleys’ ancient, accident-prone owl; Pigwidgeon is Ron’s tiny hyperactive owl; and Crookshanks is Hermione’s ginger cat — not an owl at all.
✗ Not quite! The answer is Hedwig. Errol is the Weasleys’ clumsy family owl, Pigwidgeon is Ron’s tiny owl from later books, and Crookshanks is Hermione’s cat. Hedwig is the snowy owl Hagrid buys Harry for his birthday — even getting her own leitmotif from composer John Williams.
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02
In Rob Reiner’s 1987 cult classic The Princess Bride, the farm boy Westley answers Buttercup’s every demand with the same three words — which she comes to realize actually mean “I love you.” What does he say?
A“As you wish” B“Inconceivable!” C“My only love” D“Anything for you”
✓ Correct! “As you wish” is Westley’s signature line — and the film’s emotional core. “Inconceivable!” is Vizzini’s catchphrase (prompting Inigo’s famous “You keep using that word…”). The other two were never in William Goldman’s script — the whole point is that three plain words carry all the meaning.
✗ Not quite! The answer is “As you wish.” “Inconceivable!” belongs to the Sicilian Vizzini. Buttercup slowly realizes that Westley’s endlessly repeated “As you wish” is really his way of saying “I love you” — one of the most quoted lines in fantasy cinema.
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03
The 2006 Spanish-language masterpiece Pan’s Labyrinth blends a fascist-era fairy tale with the grim reality of post-Civil War Spain, featuring the nightmarish Pale Man. Which director created this dark fantasy?
AAlfonso Cuarón BGuillermo del Toro CPedro Almodóvar DRobert Rodriguez
✓ Correct! Guillermo del Toro wrote and directed Pan’s Labyrinth, designing the Faun and the eyeless Pale Man himself. He’d later win Best Director and Best Picture for The Shape of Water. Cuarón directed Prisoner of Azkaban; Almodóvar is Spain’s great melodramatist; Rodriguez is del Toro’s close friend but made Sin City and Spy Kids.
✗ Not quite! The answer is Guillermo del Toro. Alfonso Cuarón (a fellow “Three Amigos” of Mexican cinema) directed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Pedro Almodóvar makes Spanish melodramas, and Robert Rodriguez made Sin City. Del Toro’s creature designs in Pan’s Labyrinth are now iconic.
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04
In The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005), the four Pevensie children first stumble into the snowy land of Narnia by passing through what object?
AA magic mirror BA wardrobe CA painting DA wishing well
✓ Correct! It’s a wardrobe — it’s right there in the title. Lucy hides inside during a game and finds the snow and lamppost of Narnia beyond the fur coats. A magical painting actually appears in the sequel, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader; the mirror and well are red herrings from other fantasy tales.
✗ Not quite! The answer is a wardrobe — literally named in the title. Lucy Pevensie pushes past the coats and steps out into snowy Narnia by the lamppost. (A magical painting does pull the children into the sea in the later film The Voyage of the Dawn Treader — but not here.)
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05
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) made Oscar history as the first fantasy film to win Best Picture, sweeping every category it was nominated in. How many Academy Awards did it take home?
A4 B7 C9 D11
✓ Correct! Return of the King won all 11 of its nominations — tying Ben-Hur (1959) and Titanic (1997) for the all-time record, and becoming the first (and so far only) fantasy film to win Best Picture. Remarkably, it earned zero acting nominations yet still swept the board clean.
✗ Not quite! The answer is 11 — a perfect clean sweep. Return of the King tied Ben-Hur and Titanic for the most Oscar wins ever and broke fantasy’s long Best Picture drought. Fellowship of the Ring won 4 and The Two Towers won 2; the finale took everything it was nominated for.
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06
In the swashbuckling Pirates of the Caribbean films, Johnny Depp earned an Oscar nomination playing a swaggering, kohl-eyed pirate captain reportedly inspired by Keith Richards. What is the character’s name?
AWill Turner BDavy Jones CCaptain Jack Sparrow DHector Barbossa
✓ Correct! Captain Jack Sparrow — Depp’s loose-limbed, rum-soaked performance earned a surprise Best Actor nomination for The Curse of the Black Pearl. Will Turner is the blacksmith hero (Orlando Bloom), Davy Jones is the tentacle-faced villain (Bill Nighy), and Hector Barbossa is the mutinous rival captain (Geoffrey Rush).
✗ Not quite! The answer is Captain Jack Sparrow. Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) is the earnest blacksmith, Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) is the squid-faced sea villain, and Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush) is the cursed rival. It was Depp’s Sparrow — modeled partly on Keith Richards — who earned the Oscar nod.
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07
Jim Henson’s 1986 musical fantasy Labyrinth features a teenage Jennifer Connelly navigating a maze to rescue her baby brother from the flamboyant, wild-haired Goblin King Jareth. Which rock legend played Jareth?
ADavid Bowie BTim Curry CMick Jagger DSting
✓ Correct! David Bowie played Jareth, writing and performing the film’s songs including “Magic Dance” and “As the World Falls Down.” Tim Curry famously played the demon Darkness in another Ridley Scott fantasy, Legend (also 1985-86). Jagger and Sting are rock icons but never donned Jareth’s glittering cape and wild wig.
✗ Not quite! The answer is David Bowie. Tim Curry played the towering devil Darkness in the rival fantasy Legend around the same time. Bowie not only starred as Jareth the Goblin King but composed and sang the soundtrack — “Magic Dance” remains the film’s signature number.
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08
In the 1984 classic The NeverEnding Story, the young warrior Atreyu journeys across the dying realm of Fantasia and befriends a furry, dog-faced luckdragon who carries him through the skies. What is the luckdragon’s name?
AArtax BFalkor CGmork DBastian
✓ Correct! Falkor (Falkor the luckdragon) is the friendly, scale-and-fur covered dragon who aids Atreyu and Bastian. Artax is Atreyu’s horse, lost heartbreakingly in the Swamp of Sadness; Gmork is the wolf-like servant of The Nothing; and Bastian is the real-world boy reading the story who is ultimately drawn into it.
✗ Not quite! The answer is Falkor. Artax is Atreyu’s beloved horse (the Swamp of Sadness scene scarred a generation), Gmork is the menacing wolf-beast serving The Nothing, and Bastian is the bullied boy reading the book. Falkor is the soaring luckdragon — one of fantasy cinema’s most cherished creatures.
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Likewise, the next live-action movie in the franchise, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, has also recast a fan-favorite character, Aragorn. Based on all those factors, I thought it would be interesting to have a look at how The Lord of the Rings movie franchise might have shaped up had it been created in 2026. All the actors chosen are of similar ages to the originals when they were cast, and their body of work matches their roles.
12 Rory McCann As Gimli
Starting us off is Gimli, who is an important character to get right. In The Lord of the Rings movies, John Rhys-Davies gave the character a big personality, alternating between the films' comedic relief to a fierce fighter and an even more loyal friend. Rory McCann would make for the perfect Gimli because the actor has shown that not only is he believable as a true menace in a gritty fantasy setting through his role as The Hound in Game of Thrones, but he also masters the art of delivering humor without getting too silly.
11 Danny Griffin As Legolas
The other half of this rivalry-turned-friendship would be played by Danny Griffin. Legolas is one of The Lord of the Rings' biggest names, and by casting an actor who has yet to make it big, it would allow audiences to watch the character take form without any outside noise. In Netflix's Fate: The Winx Saga series, the 29-year-old actor showed his skills for action sequences in a fantasy setting, as his character, Sky, was one of the show's most skilled fighters, like Legolas is in the movies. He also carries himself with a similar poise to Legolas onscreen.
10 Gaten Matarazzo As Samwise Gamgee
Image via NetflixSamwise Gamgee would be played by Stranger Things' Dustin Henderson actor Gaten Matarazzo if The Lord of the Rings movies started in 2026 for many reasons. For one, the actor has plenty of experience in a fantasy setting playing a loyal character who will give his life for his friends, as Stranger Things borrowed many elements from Dungeons & Dragons. Matarazzo can display the same levity, warmth, and companionship that Sam is known for. Matarazzo also brings the emotional depth for iconic scenes like when Sam is tempted by the One Ring, but gives it back to Frodo.
9 Joe Locke As Pippin
Image via Disney+Pippin is perhaps the biggest departure from the list, given that Marvel Cinematic Universe actor Joe Locke is 22, while Billy Boyd was 33 when he first played Pippin. That said, the change would make sense, as Pippin is the youngest of the Hobbits, whereas Boyd was the oldest actor. Locke has shown in projects like Disney+'s Agatha All Along and Netflix's Heartstopper that he has the charm, the gleefulness, and the comedic timing to bring Pippin to life. Additionally, Billy Maximoff's transition into a more serious figure matches Pippin's evolution throughout the movies.
8 Louis Partridge As Merry
The last of Frodo's Hobbit companions, Merry, would be played by Louis Partridge, who knows what it is like to be in a major franchise, as he has played Tewkesbury in Netflix's three Enola Holmes movies released so far. He can certainly bring the same kind of levity and tactical focus that Merry does in The Lord of the Rings movies. In projects like Netflix's House of Guinness, Partridge has shown that he has what it takes to convincingly play the most analytical of the Hobbits.
7 Roman Griffin Davis As Frodo
Credit: Murray Close /© Lionsgate / Courtesy Everett CollectionThe final Hobbit and the most important, Frodo, would be beautifully brought to life by Roman Griffin Davis. The actor's breakout role came in the charming, shocking, and deeply moving Jojo Rabbit. In that movie, Davis played a naive kid whose life was changed by the horrors of World War II. That arc closely follows Frodo's own experience living an idyllic life in the Shire only to have to travel Middle-earth as a sacrifice play to destroy the One Ring and bring about Sauron's end.
6 Thomasin McKenzie As Arwen
Looking at Jojo Rabbit, I also believe that another star from the movie, Thomasin McKenzie, would make for a fitting choice as Arwen. Like Liv Tyler, the 26-year-old actress also possesses the same kind of ethereal beauty needed for the role. In Jojo Rabbit, McKenzie also presents the kind of layered and emotionally complex performance that is needed for Arwen, a character of deep sorrow and who makes an impossible choice. Additionally, she is already part of the franchise, having had a minor role as Astrid in Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.
5 Robert Aramayo As Elrond
The actor to play Arwen's father, Elrond, could not be anyone other than Robert Aramayo. Being only six years younger than Hugo Weaving was when he first played Elrond, Aramayo already has plenty of experience as that exact character. After all, he has given life to Elrond across both seasons of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. While the Prime Video fantasy series has proven itself divisive with The Lord of the Rings fans, Aramayo's portrayal of Elrond is a universally beloved element. He infuses the character with a great wisdom and empathy to make him shine.
4 Charlie Hunnam As Boromir
Boromir was played by fantasy genre legend Sean Bean in the Peter Jackson movies before the actor went on to play Ned Stark in Game of Thrones. Charlie Hunnam has a history of playing morally grey characters, such as Jax Teller in Sons of Anarchy, Raymond Smith in Guy Ritchie's The Gentlemen, and more. He would make Boromir's fall from grace quite tragic. Additionally, Hunnam has experience with sword fights for The Lord of the Rings, given that he played the title character in King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.
3 Bill Skarsgård As Gollum
The final three characters on the list will all show up in the upcoming The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, starting with Gollum himself. There really is no doing better than Bill Skarsgård. Through characters like Pennywise in the It movies and HBO Max's It: Welcome to Derry, as well as Count Orlok, he has shown his skills for a peculiar role like Gollum, where Skarsgård could once again deliver an unsettling performance as he disappears into the role.
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