Everything We Know About The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum

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Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, released nearly 25 years ago, remains one of the most celebrated movie adaptations ever made, masterfully bringing J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic fantasy novel to the screen. With Hollywood now focused on revisiting familiar stories through remakes and sequels, it was only a matter of time before Middle-earth returned to cinemas. We’ve already seen it return as an animated film, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, and now a new live-action movie is being made.

Andy Serkis is directing a new film set in Middle-earth, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, marking the first live-action movie in that world since The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies came out in 2014. The original screenwriters, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, are writing the script, and Peter Jackson is producing. While details have been limited since the film was announced in 2024, Warner Bros. recently shared some information about it at CinemaCon 2026.

What Is The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum About?

The story of The Hunt for Gollum is drawn from a few short sections of the book The Lord of the Rings. It unfolds during the time frame of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, specifically between the moment Gollum is captured and the beginning of Frodo’s journey to destroy the One Ring. While the movie makes it seem like a short gap, the book actually shows that 17 years pass between these two events.

While investigating the One Ring, Gandalf the Grey wanted to prove what he suspected about its origins. As depicted in The Fellowship of the Ring, he journeyed to Minas Tirith to examine records of Isildur, who had originally taken the Ring from the Dark Lord Sauron long ago. However, the movie only showed part of Gandalf’s research.

We really needed to find Gollum – he used to possess the One Ring, and Gandalf thought he could help. The problem was, no one knew where he was! Gandalf asked Aragorn, an old friend he hadn’t seen in forty-five years, for help. Aragorn, who went by Strider back then, was one of the Rangers, and they’re incredible trackers. He spent ages searching all over Middle-earth, determined to locate Gollum for us.

Beyond the main story, the upcoming film The Hunt for Gollum will feature flashbacks to Gollum’s earlier life as Sméagol. While The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King briefly showed Sméagol discovering the One Ring and beginning his change, this new film will explore the events that formed his life in more detail.

Tolkien only briefly touched on these events in his writings – a single paragraph in the main story and a few notes in the appendices. Therefore, The Hunt for Gollum film will need to add a lot of new plot details to make a full-length movie. While some fans are concerned about the limited source material, Peter Jackson’s team actually considered adapting this story while making the original Lord of the Rings trilogy, giving screenwriters Walsh and Boyens plenty of time to develop it for the big screen.

Who Stars in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum?

I’m so excited to hear that some of my favorite actors from Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are coming back for The Hunt for Gollum! Andy Serkis will not only direct but will also be back as Gollum, using that amazing performance capture technology he’s known for. And get this – Sir Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood are reprising their roles as Gandalf and Frodo! Apparently, Frodo’s role won’t be huge, since things were pretty quiet for him after Bilbo’s party. Plus, it’s confirmed that will also be returning to play a character from the Woodland Realm. I can’t wait to see them all back in Middle-earth!

Unfortunately, Viggo Mortensen won’t be returning as Aragorn. The role will now be played by Jamie Dornan, an Irish actor famous for his part as Christian Grey in the Fifty Shades of Grey movies. Dornan previously played the Huntsman, and that role offered a glimpse of his potential as Aragorn, as the two characters share some similarities.

In addition to familiar faces, The Hunt for Gollum will feature new characters. Leo Woodall, an English actor known for his previous work, will play Halvard, a Ranger created specifically for the series. There was some initial confusion, with reports incorrectly stating Woodall was cast as Aragorn, which may suggest a recent change of plans for that role.

Kate Winslet will play Marigol, the elder of Sméagol’s family. While she’s well-known for roles like Rose in Titanic, she first worked with director Peter Jackson on Heavenly Creatures. Marigol is a character from Tolkien’s original story, though the author never gave her a name. In the book, she’s Sméagol’s grandmother and the one who exiled him from his community because of his obsession with the One Ring, unlike the character Halvard.

When Will The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum Be Released?

The new film, The Hunt for Gollum, is currently planned to be released in theaters on December 17, 2027. This continues a pattern for the franchise, as all of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies, along with The War of the Rohirrim, were also released in December. However, this specific date is causing some concern, as it coincides with the release of another film.

Both The Lord of the Rings and Marvel movies appeal to similar audiences, meaning they’ll be competing for viewers. Given that Secret Wars is intended as the epic finale of the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe so far, it’s expected to earn more money in theaters than The Hunt for Gollum. However, with over a year and a half until release, either film’s date could still change.

If The Hunt for Gollum comes out in 2027, it will have been 24 years since the last live-action Lord of the Rings movie – a significant event for fans. This film is just the first of several planned Lord of the Rings projects, with Stephen Colbert’s The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of the Past coming next. While it will be hard for these new films to match the quality of Peter Jackson’s original trilogy, many fans who loved The Lord of the Rings are still eager to revisit that world.

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2026-04-17 06:45