The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will be keeping some original LOTR traditions.
Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel series, was a history-making success, grossing over $2.9 billion worldwide and winning 17 Academy Awards. The original films follow hobbit Frodo Baggins (played by Elijah Wood) alongside eight companions as they begin a quest to destroy the One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.
In an interview with ScreenRant’s Liam Crowley for Animal Farm, Andy Serkis, who starred in the original trilogy as Gollum, spoke about his upcoming movie, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, and how he will remain faithful to Jackson’s movies as well as honor some traditions he wishes to uphold in the production.
ScreenRant: What is your North Star as a director? What are you hoping to adhere to when making this film?
Andy Serkis: I mean, the entire Lord of the Rings team who worked on the originals are reassembled for a start. So it is grounded in the lore, the world, and the vision of Peter Jackson’s trilogy and the Hobbit trilogy. So it will feel like a proper Middle-Earth film, there’s no question, but there is a much more, as I say, a much more internal, psychological investigation into one of Tolkien’s most complex characters, i.e., Gollum.
So it’s a very interesting mix, and I think it is a tightrope for sure, but it’ll certainly feel like… I mean, a lot of the filmmaking techniques are ones which we are employing, which harken back to the first trilogy. So I think it’ll be a great marriage of a new story and an intimate story within the law and world of Middle-Earth that we all love, and the fans… But you’ve got to remember that for some people, this will be their first Middle-Earth film. So that’s why it’s been such an interesting journey.
Serkis is directing the new LOTR movie with Jackson producing and will be honoring the original trilogy by filming the film in New Zealand with production expected to begin in May 2026 reportedly.
The Hunt for Gollum will be diving deeper into one of the franchise’s most iconic and unusual characters, and that is Gollum. Serkis made the character famous through his portrayal, which has even led to a game being based on the character. It will follow original character featured in the LOTR trilogy, Aragorn, on a dangerous quest to track down Gollum. The movie will be set between the events of The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring.
Jamie Dornan has been cast as Aragorn in the upcoming movie with Ian McKellen returning as Gandalf, Wood returning as Frodo Baggins, and Lee Pace will be reprising his role as Thranduil. New additions to the cast include Kate Winslet as Marigol and Leo Woodall as Halvard. Dornan’s character will initially appear as “Strider” but later be revealed as Aragorn as per the original novel.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will arrive in theaters on December 17, 2027.
Release Date
December 17, 2027
Writers
Arty Papageorgiou, Phoebe Gittins, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, J.R.R. Tolkien