While Prime Video is exploiting Tolkien's imagination with The Rings of Power, Warner Bros. has no intention of letting its adaptation rights lie dormant for long. A decade after The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, two after the apotheosis The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, the studio is working on a new film set in Middle-earth. Under the direction of Andy Serkis, with Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh producing, and Phoebe Gittins and Philippa Boyens writing, The Hunt for Gollum aims to remind fantasy fans of the genre's heyday in theaters.
The project, announced in 2024 to everyone's surprise, is expected to be set between Bilbo's journey and that of his nephew Frodo. It will tell the story of how Aragorn is sent in pursuit of the one once called Smeagol. Gandalf wants to prevent Sauron from discovering crucial information about the One Ring, information that could easily give him victory over the peoples of Middle-earth. As a reminder, in The Hobbit, Bilbo first encounters Gollum after getting lost in the Misty Mountains. The latter has been in possession of the ring for years, but it will be stolen by the main character of Tolkien's first novel. Bilbo will keep it for about sixty years before giving it to Frodo so that he can destroy it. Peter Jackson told Deadline last year that he was fascinated by Gollum because he represents: "The worst of human nature, whereas Smeagol was, arguably, quite sympathetic. We really want to explore his story and explore aspects of his journey that we didn't get to in the previous films. It's too early to know who he'll be meeting with, but let's just say we'll be taking inspiration from Professor Tolkien." At AwesomeCon, ScreenRant hosted a panel with some of the iconic cast members from the first films. On stage, Liv Tyler (Arwen), John Rhys-Davies (Gimli), Sean Astin (Sam), and Orlando Bloom (Legolas) were all asked about the possibility of returning. Nothing is impossible. The actress who plays Arwen, a character who means a lot to Aragorn, says she's willing to do "anything to get back in character." She explains: “I often write to Fran and Philippa. I say, ‘Tell me, will we need to see Arwen again?’ It was such a gift for us.”
The actor who plays Sam wonders how he will be able to deliver a performance that lives up to the previous one, knowing the impact the first films had on pop culture. The man who also has The Goonies in his filmography has never yet returned to a world that has become so illustrious. “I wonder what it would be like to try to perform on set, to be present and focused on what you're doing, with that kind of pressure. I don't know what it would be like.”
The actor who plays Gimli is less hesitant, explaining that he simply doesn't want to have to wear the prosthesis he had in the early 2000s. Finally, Orlando Bloom is one of the actors most likely to return for these new adventures and doesn't hide his enthusiasm. He explains that he has no reservations. “I still think that if Pete says 'jump,' I say 'how high?'. Who wouldn't want to go back there?”
A busy schedule
As a reminder, Viggo Mortensen has not been officially announced as part of the cast. The same goes for Ian McKellen, who plays Gandalf. They had already discussed the possibility of returning to action. The actor who plays the Grey Wizard is nevertheless particularly busy, having just been announced as part of the cast of Avengers: Doomsday. Filming has begun in Great Britain, and he returns to the role of Magneto in front of the Russo brothers' camera.
For its part, The Hunt for Gollum is scheduled to hit theaters worldwide in December 2027. It was originally scheduled for a 2026 release but was pushed back to allow teams to refine the script. In theory, McKellen should have the opportunity to don his cape and beard again for The Hunt for Gollum. However, his character is expected to be a key component of Avengers: Secret Wars, which will be filmed in 2026. Marvel and New Line will have to work together.
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