Gimli The Dwarf: Colm Meaney
Gimli, the warrior dwarf from Erabor, is one of the more grim and serious members of the party with a deep thirst for revenge against Sauron and his minions. For the new film adaptions, I think Colm Meaney would make a great Gimli. Not only is he a regular supporting character on Deep Space 9 (just about the best show on TV right now if you ask me), but Meaney has guest starred on Gargoyles, McGuyver, DR. Quinn, and many other great shows. And while he is already a great side character on television, he definitely deserves a spotlight in film. Plus, his thick recognizable Irish accent seems a perfect fit for a dwarf, as do his red hair and round nose.
Legolas The Elf : Johnny Depp
Legolas the strange quiet Elf, is a hard character to cast. Especially during the beginning of the adventure, Legolas seems very inhuman, almost robotic. Perhaps that is why Anthony Daniels, the man behind C3-P0 from Star Wars was cast as this character in the animated adaption. That was a good fit, but with Daniels now almost certainly too old, my vote would be for Johnny Depp. Known for his oddball rolls and quiet quirky characters, Depp is one of Hollywood's rising stars and could use this springboard into more commercially successful films (provided the adaptations meet Jackson's obvious intentions.) From brooding teens to eccentric directors, every one of Depp's characters is unique and interesting, and he would give Legolas a great spin. And finally, two of the most important characters of the entire project - Gandalf the Wizard and Gollum, the cursed antagonist...