Elijah Wood Finally Reveals How Much Frodo We’ll See in The Hunt for Gollum

In the oh-look-who's-back world of Middle-earth, Elijah Wood is suiting up as Frodo Baggins once again – but before anyone gets carried away thinking this is his grand return to the limelight, temper your expectations. There's some proper returning talent for 'The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum', but Frodo fans aren't getting as much as they might hope.

Elijah Wood: Blink-and-You’ll-Miss-Him Frodo

Elijah Wood – probably still best known as the big-eyed hobbit with a tricky relationship to jewellery – was chatting with GamesRadar+ about his involvement in the upcoming film, and he made it very clear: it’s more of a nostalgic drop-in than a full-on comeback.

'It’s sort of like getting the band back together a little bit with that film. A lot of the creative team who were part of Lord of the Rings are part of Hunt for Gollum. I’m just looking forward to seeing all those people again. It feels like a family reunion. My part to play is relatively small, but I’m just excited to go back and spend some time in New Zealand and see old friends.'

So if you were hoping for loads of Frodo, maybe lower those expectations. Wood's role is – by his own admission – fairly minor in the grand scheme of things. Makes sense though, seeing as the film is set in that hazy period after The Hobbit but before the original trilogy kicks off, meaning Frodo’s probably still tucked away in the Shire, not yet wrestling with the fate of the world.

Who's Actually Back, Who's New?

For those wondering who else is getting the Middle-earth nostalgia treatment, here's the rundown:

• Andy Serkis, everyone's favourite motion-capture genius, is directing and returning as the ever-slippery Gollum. No points for guessing the film's focus.
• Ian McKellen will once again don the beard as Gandalf.
• Lee Pace reprises Thranduil – the standout eyebrows from The Hobbit series.
• Not returning: Viggo Mortensen. Yes, really. Instead, Jamie Dornan has been tapped to play Strider, which is going to spark more than a few debates online, I’d imagine.
• Fresh faces include Kate Winslet as Marigol and Leo Woodall as Halvard.

Timeline-wise, the film plants itself squarely between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring. The premise? Gandalf and Aragorn/Strider are in hot pursuit of Gollum, with Sauron lurking as usual. Gollum, for his part, tries desperately to stay one step ahead.

Release Date and Other Bits

'The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum' is currently set for a US cinema release on 17 December 2027.