Everyone’s favourite ring-obsessed Sméagol is heading back to the big screen, and we couldn’t be any more excited than if we had caught a nice, juicy fish in our little handses. Not only is Andy Serkis set to reprise the role that made him a giant in the world of motion-capture performance, but he’s also set to direct Warner Bros.’s return to Middle-earth in a tale focused on the misbegotten halfling corrupted by the malignant power of the One Ring.
With The Lord of the Rings’ Faramir and Éowyn, David Wenham and Miranda Otto, both set to join us at our penultimate 99th show in Adelaide (2-3 November), and the former also attending our 100th in Brisbane (8-10 November), we thought it timely to recap what we know about Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.
Earlier this year we took a look at what the future of the Lord of the Rings franchise held, with 2024 set to bring us both The Rings of Power season 2 and the animated The War of the Rohirrim movie. However, we also pointed out that Warner Bros. had plans for more Lord of the Rings movies after they inked a 2023 deal with the Embracer Group (the Swedish video game and media company that currently owns the rights to adapt films based on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit). It was shortly after this original article that Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav announced that The Hunt for Gollum would be the first of those movies.
When Will ‘The Hunt For Gollum’ Be Set?
Set to be produced by original Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit director Peter Jackson, The Hunt for Gollum finally sees Serkis stepping into the director’s chair after originally serving as Jackson’s second unit director on The Hobbit trilogy. Currently slated for a 2026 release, at this stage the movie is still in very early developmental stages and no official casting announcements have been made. Moreover, Serkis has even admitted that The Hunt for Gollum may not end up being the movie’s final official title.
However, given the film’s current working title, it is possible that this new movie will centre on the 17-year gap between Bilbo Baggins’ 111th birthday party, and Gandalf’s return to the Shire and consequent start of Frodo’s journey to Rivendell. During this time, Gandalf not only set out to discover more about the true origins of Bilbo’s ring, but also embarked on a 8-year-long mission to track down Gollum with Aragorn’s aid.
What Other Characters Are Likely To Return?
While there is no confirmation that The Hunt For Gollum will indeed focus on Aragorn and Gandalf’s quest for Gollum as was described by Tolkien, if it does it would also point to the return of several key characters. Both Ian McKellan and Viggo Mortensen have already expressed their willingness to return, albeit with the latter insisting that any such move would need to make sense before he agrees to it.
However, while McKellan’s age difference may be easily hidden behind Gandalf’s flowing white beard, it may be much harder to pass Mortensen off as the character he played two decades previously. While digital de-aging is certainly not unheard of in modern blockbuster movies, Serkis may still be forced to recast Aragorn’s role with a younger actor. Perhaps one way to do just this, while also bringing Mortensen back, is to have him retell the story as the King of Gondor, while a younger actor assumes his role in flashbacks.
Another role we may likely see would be Lee Pace’s Thranduil from The Hobbit trilogy. As the King of Mirkwood, it is to Thranduil that Aragorn finally brings Gollum to after capturing him in the Dead Marshes near Mordor. Moreover, if The Hunt For Gollum brings Thranduil back, there is also the possibility for a cameo from his character’s son, Legolas.
At this stage, however, trying to glean more concrete details is very much like looking into Galadriel’s mirror, and attempting to decode those things which have not yet come to pass. One thing is for sure though, audiences still have plenty more Middle-earth adventures to look forward to.
With only 79 days to go until Supanova Comic Con & Gaming’s milestone 100th event, grab your tickets to their penultimate 99th show in Adelaide, and Brisbane’s three-day extravaganza now via Moshtix!
