Actor Christopher Lee, who played Saruman in Peter Jackson’s epic film trilogy, Lord of the Rings, said that he has no plans to reprise his role in the two Jackson-produced Hobbit movies in the works, though he does have a voice role in mind.

The folks over at the Norwegian site Rushblogg attended the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic this weekend, where they asked the actor if he had any plans to return to Middle-Earth.

In the 4 1/2-minute interview segment, the 86-year-old actor admitted that while he loved filming LOTR in New Zealand, he’s just not up for taking the long journey back, but that he’d love to provide the voice of the dragon Smaug in film, which will be directed by Guillermo del Toro. (He could do the voice work in his native England.)

There had been reports that Lee would be in The Hobbit, but Lee points out that that’s not possible because the Saruman character is not in J.R.R. Tolkien‘s book. But there’s still the Hobbit sequel — which the filmmakers refer to as Film 2 (or F2) — being planned, which won’t be a direct adaptation of any Tolkien works.

F2 would take place some time during the 60-year gap between The Hobbit and the first LOTR installment, Fellowship of the Ring, and there’s some talk that it would deal with the Council of Wizards, of which Saruman was a part. But it seems like even if Saruman makes it in, if it meant traveling to back New Zealand, Lee would not be able to do it.

That’s a big change from what he told Empire only last month about playing Saruman again.

But Lee’s apparent change of heart is understandable, but I think most of us were really hoping to see Lee back in Middle-Earth, especially after his final on-screen performance as Saruman was so unceremoniously cut from the theatrical version of the final LOTR movie, The Return of the King (the scenes were restored for the Extended Version DVD).

Lee’s wish to provide the voice of Smaug would be an acceptable and welcome alternate role, though what would be even better would be if del Toro found a way for Lee to do his Saruman scenes in England. Either way, let’s hope Lee somehow finds his way into one or both of the planned Hobbit films.

Watch the video interview (and it’s conducted in English, by the way) with Lee here below.

Video

[Source via Cinematical]