Production on The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum has officially begun, and Warner Bros. has released the first footage of Andy Serkis reprising his role as the Ring-obsessed creature.
This short behind-the-scenes video provides an early glimpse of Serkis on a film set, scrutinizing a script and asking a nearby production assistant, “Where do we start?”
“Well, scene one, the beginning,” he replies.
“That’s a great place to start,” Serkis said.
Wearing a motion-capture suit, he crouches in a spider-like position, hunching his shoulders and curling his lips to make the character’s famous feral growl. The “Action!” teaser, which is currently in production, cuts to a cinematic scene shot by drone over the rugged mountains of New Zealand.
Serkis directed The Hunt for Gollum and also reprized his role as Gollum, also known as Smeagol. The film is scheduled to be released in theaters on December 17, 2027.
“The Hunt for Gollum” reunites Serkis with Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyen, the creative team behind the original “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” trilogies. This outstanding ensemble includes new cast members Kate Winslet (Marigol), Jamie Dornan (Strider), Leo Woodall (Halberd) and Anya Taylor-Joy as the Elf, as well as returning actors Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Elijah Wood (Frodo) and Lee Pace (King Thranduil).
“It couldn’t have been better,” Serkis recently told Variety about reuniting with her Middle-earth family. “And not just these guys, who obviously I adore and love and have worked with for years, but virtually the entire staff from 25 years ago. So, it’s great. And then there are generations of their children as well. So this is a big family affair.”
Watch the full teaser video below.
