Elijah Wood Teases Return in ‘The Hunt for Gollum’
Elijah Wood hints at his involvement in the new Lord of the Rings film, The Hunt for Gollum, and shares his enthusiasm for the original creative team’s reunion.
Elijah Wood has offered a glimpse into what’s brewing with the next Lord of the Rings instalment, The Hunt for Gollum. While his participation hasn’t been formally confirmed, the cat may already be out of the bag, thanks to Ian McKellen’s comments at a fan gathering last summer. McKellen let slip, “It’s going to start filming in May. It’s going to be directed by Gollum, and it’s all about Gollum,” before adding,
“But I’ll tell you two secrets about the casting. There’s a character in the film called Frodo and another character called Gandalf, and apart from that my lips are sealed.”
During a recent chat with Screen Rant at Fan Expo New Orleans, Wood was asked about McKellen’s revelations. He replied,
“I can neither confirm nor deny. Listen, a wizard is to be trusted.”
He stopped short of confirming his return as Frodo, but added,
“Aside from any of that, I’m not really allowed to confirm. I’m really excited about the film. I think it really is a creative ‘getting the band back together.’ A lot of the creative heads of department are back and in that space again.”
Creative Team Reunites
Wood went on to mention that Phillipa Boyens, who penned the original trilogy’s screenplay, is involved once more, saying she’s co-writing and producing the new project. He expressed genuine delight at the prospect of the old team reuniting, remarking,
“It’s very much that core original group getting back together to tell this story that will feel like a really fun exploration of this character that we all love so much. And I’m just really excited.”
Andy Serkis, known for his portrayal of Gollum, is set to direct the upcoming film. Wood is fully behind this choice, stating,
“It feels so unbelievably appropriate that he directs a film about his character that he has really made his own. I’m thrilled. It’ll be great.”
Looking Ahead for Middle-earth
When The Hunt for Gollum was officially announced in 2024, Warner Bros also revealed that another Lord of the Rings film would follow. Wood, looking to the future of the franchise, commented,
“I know their intention is to make other films in this universe. And that’s exciting, interesting to see where that goes, but very exciting.”
The Hunt for Gollum is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on 17 December 2027, with anticipation already building among fans eager to see familiar faces and creative minds return to Middle-earth.