With all of the legal troubles MGM has been going through, it was beginning to look like The Hobbit, the prequel to The Lord of the Rings trilogy, would never get made. However, in early October, MGM announced that it had secured funds from "key lenders" to move forward with the production and that filming would begin in Spring 2010.
Sir Ian McKellen has confirmed that the production is on track and that he will be returning as Gandalf, but said that "there won't be many of the actors going back." Now, at least one of those actors in question has said that he isn't interested in returning to Middle Earth. John Rhys-Davies, who played Gimli the dwarf, told Empire that he was asked about the possibility of playing Gimli's father, Gloin, but that he has "completely ruled it out."
There's a sentimental part of me that would love to be involved again. Really I am not sure my face can take that sort of punishment anymore.
Rhys-Davies' character was the only starring dwarf featured in the LOTR trilogy, but The Hobbit will have 13 dwarves, a fact that weighed on his mind when deciding not to play Gloin.
Why would you want to do it if it was just a couple of shots? When you've been one of one, why would you want to be one of 13?