Will Elijah Wood return as Frodo in the new Lord of the Rings movie The Hunt for Gollum? Don’t ask Elijah Wood. Co-star Ian McKellen let slip last year that Frodo and Gandalf would be back on screen when Middle-earth returns to cinemas in 2027.
“I can’t confirm or deny. Look, wizards are supposed to be trusted,” Wood told ScreenRant at Fan Expo in New Orleans, teasing that McKellen’s gaffe was likely accurate. “Other than that, I can’t really confirm. I’m really excited about this movie. I think it’s a really creative ‘getting the band back together’ piece.” Many of the creative heads have returned and are in the field again. I think Philippa (Boys) is co-writing and producing it. Having that core original group come together again to tell this story is going to feel like a really fun exploration of this character that we all love. And I’m really excited.
“I’m excited to have Andy[Serkis]direct,” Wood continued. “It feels incredibly appropriate that he would be directing a movie about his own character that he created himself. I’m so excited. It’s going to be great. And I can’t wait to see it…I know their intention is to make other movies in this world, and that’s exciting and it’ll be interesting to see where it goes, but it’s very exciting.”
Warner Bros. first announced The Hunt for Gollum in summer 2024, and it was originally scheduled for theatrical release in 2026, but was later pushed back to December 2027. Serkis directed Tentpole and once again stars in the title role, which he has played using motion capture since 2002’s The Lord of the Rings. Serkis’ directorial credits include Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle and Venom: Let There Be Carnage.
Peter Jackson, who directed The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, is producing The Hunt for Gollum with longtime Ring collaborators Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyen. In announcing “Gollum,” Warner Bros. emphasized that the trio would be “involved every step of the way.”
Boyen previously told Empire magazine that The Hunt for Gollum is a “very intense story that takes place after Bilbo’s birthday party and before the mines of Moria.” This is a particular part of an amazing untold story told through the eyes of this incredible creature.
Mr Serkis confirmed to Metro last year that he arrived in New Zealand in September to begin pre-production on Tentpole. He added at the time, “I’m so happy to be able to return to my favorite family, and the characters I can’t escape, that I’ve worked with for many years.”
“The Hunt for Gollum” will be released in theaters on December 17, 2027.
