Some of Hollywood’s biggest movie franchises are running out of gas. While a galaxy far, far away will return in 2026’s Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu and 2027’s Star Wars: Starfighter, it’s hard to imagine Disney producing another trilogy of movies that continue the Skywalker Saga. Harry Potter finds itself in a similar boat, as its attempts to flesh out the Wizarding World on the big screen have been lackluster, to say the least. The powers that be at Warner Bros. Discovery are opting to keep the magical series away from movie theaters altogether, developing a reboot series for HBO Max.
WBD isn’t ready to throw in the towel for all of its fantasy franchise, though. The higher-ups at the studio still believe there’s some meat on the bone in Middle-earth, where The Lord of the Rings movies take place. A standalone movie titled The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is currently in production and will fill in some of the gaps left by The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Here are five scenes cut from The Lord of the Rings trilogy that the next movie can finally include.
5) Merry Catching Onto Bilbo
Biblo causes quite a stir in The Fellowship of the Ring during his birthday party when he disappears out of thin air. However, at least in J.R.R. Tolkien’s source material, not every Hobbit in attendance is totally caught off guard. Merry Brandybuck reveals that he saw Bilbo use the same trick a year before the party and tried to learn more about his relative.
Since the Shire is sure to be one of the many iconic Middle-earth locations visited by The Hunt for Gollum, the movie can take a moment from its busy schedule to show Merry starting to put the pieces together. That way, he’s more than just an extra body in The Fellowship of the Ring.
4) Gandalf Letting Loose
Gandalf turns the serious meter to 11 when he witnesses Bilbo use a magical ring to slip away from his party. After all, there are only a few pieces of jewelry in Middle-earth capable of pulling off such a feat. However, Gandalf knows that his travelling companion doesn’t have all the answers, so he sets out to learn more about the ring.
The Hunt for Gollum will be all about Gandalf’s quest for more information and how Gollum becomes a major player in the fight between good and evil. One thing The Fellowship of the Ring fails to mention is that Gandalf and Gollum meet long before the creature crosses paths with Frodo. The wizard has to use extreme measures to get the truth out of Gollum, dropping his usually calm demeanor.
3) Gollum Meeting a Key Ally
Gollum knows far more about Middle-earth than Frodo, who never really sets foot out of the Shire before The Fellowship of the Ring. For most of the trilogy, Gollum’s knowledge proves helpful, as he can help guide Sam and Frodo to their destination. But there’s one helpful tip that Gollum omits from his tour because he knows it will come in handy later.
Right before reaching Mordor, Gollum tosses Frodo to the wolves by taking him to the lair of a giant spider, Shelob. The creature formerly known as Smeagol knows where she is because he ran into her once before, while escaping Mordo. The Hunt for Gollum can show the beginning of their relationship and provide additional context to one of the original trilogy’s most terrifying sequences.
2) Aragorn Learning the Truth
Aragorn’s first appearance in The Fellowship of the Ring comes when he links up with the Hobbits shortly after they leave the Shire. However, he’s not there by accident, as he’s been aware of the stakes of the fight against Sauron for many years. In fact, he’s already wrestled with his destiny for 60 years by the time he defends Frodo and Co. from evildoers.
Of course, Aragorn is a descendant of Isildur, the last king of Gondor. Aragorn doesn’t know that from the jump, though, as it takes Elrond nearly 20 years to let the truth out. By showing this major moment in Middle-earth’s past, The Hunt for Gollum can shed some light on Aragorn’s mindset going into the original trilogy.
1) Thranduil’s Role in the War
The Hobbit trilogy explains how Bilbo comes to be in possession of the One Ring, but that’s far from the only topic it covers. Gandalf, Saruman, and Galadriel are also on the hunt for a mysterious necromancer, who turns out to be Sauron, returning after centuries to exact his revenge on Middle-earth. While Gandalf tells as many people as will listen about the coming danger, The Lord of the Rings movies don’t include all of them.
One major character that sits out the original trilogy is Thranduil, Legolas’ father, who plays a major role in The Hobbit trilogy, even participating in the Battle of the Five Armies. Including Thranduil would allow The Hunt for Gollum to connect the six movies it borrows elements from, as well as address a glaring hole that’s tough to move past.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum hits theaters December 17, 2027
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