Peter Jackson Reveals How Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker Inspired the Next Lord of the Rings Epic

If you thought Peter Jackson was finished with Middle-earth, think again. He’s back—and this time, the spotlight is all on Gollum, arguably Tolkien’s most complicated little swamp gremlin. And, in a bit of a curveball, Jackson says the new movie isn’t just another epic fantasy chase through New Zealand’s prettiest fields. It’s digging into Gollum’s psyche, with more of a psychological tilt. If you want a taste of where this new approach comes from, Jackson flat-out credits Joaquin Phoenix’s 'Joker' as a direct influence. Yeah, you read that right: Gollum is getting the 'Joker' treatment.

A Gollum Movie, But Make It Psychological

Chatting at Cannes with IndieWire, Jackson laid out the plan for 'The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.' He basically said they’re looking at the story from Gollum’s point of view this time, digging into his twisted inner world—kind of like what 'Joker' did with its own not-so-stable antihero. The idea is to go way deeper into Gollum's mind than we’ve gotten before. To paraphrase Jackson:

'The Joker showed how you can explore a character’s psychology while still telling a story. We basically have a blueprint in Tolkien’s appendices, and we’re following that, but through Gollum’s warped eyes.'

So, instead of just watching Gollum creep around muttering about 'my precious,' we’re getting a peek at exactly what’s going on in that scrambled skull of his—complete with obsessive Ring-hunting and a parade of trauma. That’s the promise, anyway.

What's This Movie Actually About?

• Source material: The movie is pulling from the appendices of the LOTR books—the extra stories Tolkien wrote that didn’t make it into the main texts. Translation: there’s fresh material, but it still fits in canon.
• Timeline: We’ll see some of Gollum’s earlier years, his obsession with tracking down the One Ring, and his inevitable run-ins with the Rangers before he’s dragged off to Mordor.
• It’s not Jackson in the director’s chair: Here’s where Peter Jackson gets a bit self-deprecating—and probably honest: he had no real plans to direct this himself. The logic? 'If I thought I’d do a better film, I’d do it,' he said. But he figures Andy Serkis—aka Gollum himself—can take things somewhere new and interesting as director. Not a bad bet, considering Serkis’s history with this character.

Andy Serkis in Charge (Because, Really, Who Else?)

If there’s one person you’d trust to get Gollum right, it’s Andy Serkis. He practically redefined motion-capture acting with Gollum in the first place, and apparently Jackson believes Serkis is the only one who can really do justice to this mess of a character. As Jackson put it—maybe a little bluntly—he thinks Serkis will actually make a more interesting Gollum movie than he could himself. Big endorsement.

So, What’s Next?

If you’ve ever wanted to see the inside of Gollum’s head and maybe understand just how deep his misery goes, this might be your chance. It’s shaping up to be a Lord of the Rings story we haven’t quite seen before: familiar universe, very different perspective. Whether it lands closer to 'Joker' or just becomes the strangest chapter in Middle-earth movie history remains to be seen—but it’s definitely not business as usual for Tolkien fans.