Hollywood has gone back to Middle-earth, and once again the titans behind The Lord of the Rings are leading the charge. The upcoming film The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is being directed by Andy Serkis, the man who first brought the tormented creature Gollum to life through motion capture two decades ago. But this time, he’s not just crawling through caves. He’s calling the shots.
Serkis is joined by the same trio behind the original epics—Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens, and Fran Walsh. The group is back in New Zealand for pre-production, building what could become another massive blockbuster from a world audiences thought they had already explored. But how many more stories can be mined from Tolkien’s universe before creative nostalgia becomes cultural recycling? That’s the question fans—and critics—are asking.
At the “For the Love of Fantasy” convention in London, 86-year-old Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf in the original films, gave fans something to cheer about. “Well, I hear there’s going to be another movie set in Middle-earth, and I hear it’s going to start filming in May,” he told the crowd. “It’s going to be directed by Gollum and it’s all about Gollum. But I’ll tell you two secrets about the casting: there’s a character in the movie called Frodo and another character called Gandalf, and apart from that my lips are sealed!”
So McKellen is back. But will others return? Rumors have circled for months about whether Viggo Mortensen will reprise his legendary role as Aragorn. Boyens admitted she and Serkis spoke to him about it, saying, “Honestly, that’s entirely going to be up to Viggo, collaboratively, and we are at a very early stage.” Translation: Hollywood wants him, but the money and the script have to line up first. Surprise, surprise.
Still, new leaks suggest Mortensen’s time as Aragorn may have ended. @theonering on X reports that casting calls are already underway in London and New Zealand, with younger actors being sought to play the future king. “Aragorn will be recast,” the site said, meaning another round of “reimagining” might be coming—Hollywood’s favorite word when it wants to make the same thing again, but cheaper.
Philippa Boyens told Empire magazine that the movie would be “an adventure story with a really strong psychological, interior story that’s going on as well.” In other words, less about battles and more about emotions. That might excite critics, but will it excite fans who grew up on Jackson’s sweeping action and themes of good versus evil? Or is this another case of Hollywood turning epic fantasy into therapy talk?
The story takes place roughly 20 years before The Fellowship of the Ring, bridging the gap between The Hobbit and Tolkien’s main trilogy. It fills in what Gandalf and Aragorn were doing in those missing years—tracking down Gollum, who might still hold the key to the One Ring’s mystery. Gandalf once said, “I looked everywhere for the creature Gollum. But the enemy found him first.” Now Serkis aims to show what that hunt looked like.
Boyens explained that the movie is set “after the birthday party of Bilbo and before the Mines of Moria.” That places it just after Bilbo leaves the Shire and long before Frodo’s quest officially begins. It’s a period of uncertainty, one that mirrors the modern movie business itself—obsessed with what came before, afraid of what comes next.
So what does it say when even Middle-earth can’t escape the Hollywood remake machine? Maybe the industry’s hunger for familiar worlds reflects our own exhaustion with real life. Or maybe audiences will still line up for another journey, one more trip “there and back again.” Either way, The Hunt for Gollum is coming in 2027, and Peter Jackson’s team is betting we still care who’s holding the Ring. Hopefully it will at least make everyone forget The Rings of Power.
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