By Gavin Boyle
While Elijah Wood has not exactly confirmed that he will appear in the next LORD OF THE RINGS movie, he made it clear that if Frodo is in the movie, he will be too.
“I certainly wouldn’t want anybody else to play Frodo as long as I’m alive and able,” Wood said when asked if he would make an appearance in THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM.
“It hasn’t been officially announced, but at a convention last August, Ian [McKellen] sort of let the cat out of the bag. So there is a good chance,” the actor added about whether Frodo would be a part of the upcoming project. “I’m not able to officially say anything until it’s announced, but I will say I’m thrilled with the prospect of another film. It’s always a little nerve-racking when people talk about new movies for a world like Middle-earth. Everyone gets a little protective and hopes it retains its level of integrity, but this story is fun, thrilling. There is a genuine feeling of getting the band back together.”
While Wood did not explicitly confirm that he would be in the upcoming movie, McKellen shared that he would be and Gollum actor Andy Serkis will reprise his character as well.
Related: Will Elijah Wood Return as Frodo in THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM? He Says…
“I’ll tell you two secrets about the casting: There’s a character in the movie called Frodo, and there’s a character in the movie called Gandalf,” McKellen said last August. “Apart from that, my lips are sealed.”
@gronkcosplay HUGE hunt for Gollum casting announcement #huntforgollum #ianmckellen #castingannouncement #lotr #breakingnews
Meanwhile, Viggo Mortensen shared that he would only return to reprise his character if the script was of a high enough quality to warrant it.
“I haven’t read a script. So I don’t know,” he told the Hollywood Reporter. “The script is the most important thing to me unless I’m broke, I have no money and I’m lucky to get any job. So it depends.”
THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM takes place during the period between Bilbo’s 111th birthday party and before Frodo and Samwise Gamgee are sent on their journey, filling in a part of the story that has never been shared on the big screen. Peter Jackson returned to advise on the project, a detail that has many fans hoping the movie will deliver an experience comparable to the previous trilogies.
“The Gollum/Sméagol character has always fascinated me because Gollum reflects the worst of human nature, whilst his Sméagol side is, arguably, quite sympathetic,” Jackson told Deadline in May 2024. “I think he connects with readers and film audiences alike, because there’s a little bit of both of them in all of us.”
“We really want to explore his backstory and delve into those parts of his journey we didn’t have time to cover in the earlier films,” he continued. “It’s too soon to know who will cross his path, but suffice to say we will take our lead from Professor Tolkien.”
As THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM continues to shape up, it has fans more and more excited for what is to come. The movie is planned to hit theaters on Dec. 17, 2027.
Read Next: Why This LORD OF THE RINGS Signals a Return to the Classic
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
