New ‘Lord of the Rings’ Details Tease ‘The Hunt for Gollum’ as a Very Different Middle Earth Adventure

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Get ready to return to Middle-earth next year with The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum! The new film, directed by Andy Serkis – who will reprise his role as Gollum using motion capture – takes place during the events of The Fellowship of the Ring. The story follows Aragorn as he’s sent by Gandalf to track down the elusive creature, Gollum.

As Andy Serkis and his team – including producers Jackson, Philippa Boyens, and Fran Walsh – prepare for filming in New Zealand, Ian McKellen, who plays Gandalf, shared exciting details about the cast and how the movie will be made at London’s ‘For the Love of Fantasy’ event. On stage with fellow actors from The Lord of the Rings, the 86-year-old hinted at what’s to come.

I’ve heard they’re making a new movie set in the world of Middle-earth, and filming is supposed to begin in May. It’s going to focus entirely on the character Gollum, and he’ll even be directing! I can tell you that the movie will feature characters named Frodo and Gandalf, but I won’t reveal anything else about the cast.

In a recent interview with Empire magazine, Philippa Boyens, a writer returning for the new Lord of the Rings project, shared some details about the upcoming film. She described it as an adventure with a significant focus on the characters’ inner lives and psychological journeys. Boyens also expressed her admiration for Andy Serkis, who is reprising his role as Gollum and seamlessly returning to motion-capture performance after 25 years.

I was directing Andy on set and told him to get into position. I was amazed by how easily he climbed all over the equipment – he’s incredibly fit! I jokingly asked him if he could start looking older.

Will Viggo Mortensen Be Back as Aragorn in ‘The Hunt for Gollum’?


New Line Cinema

Several original cast members from Peter Jackson’s films are expected to reprise their roles in The Hunt for Gollum, but Viggo Mortensen, who played Aragorn, will not be one of them. Although Mortensen mentioned he’d consider returning if the story felt right, Fran Walsh told The Playlist in 2024 that Andy Serkis wanted to bring back the Danish actor who originally played Sméagol.

Look, whether or not Viggo Mortensen would return for more adventures as Aragorn is really up to him. We’ve all talked to him – Andy, Peter, and myself – and we’re just in the very beginning stages of even considering it. Honestly, I can’t picture anyone else in that role, but ultimately, it’s entirely his decision.

Andy is keen to collaborate, but we’re not approaching this as an AI-driven project. It’s more about digitally enhancing someone’s appearance, and Viggo’s involvement hinges entirely on the quality of the script – which we haven’t finished yet. Let’s focus on writing a compelling role that excites him. Once we have that, it will be up to Viggo and Andy to figure out the best way to bring it to life.

Recent reports from @theonering on X indicate that the upcoming movie, positioned between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring, will feature a new, younger actor as Aragorn. Auditions are currently underway in London and New Zealand, and the search includes both unknown and established actors. This approach mirrors the original casting of Viggo Mortensen, who wasn’t a major star at the time despite having a substantial filmography. The filmmakers seem to be open to finding another relatively unknown actor to play the future King of Gondor in The Hunt for Gollum.

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2026-01-10 01:21