Andy Serkis isn’t done with Middle-earth yet.
An upcoming prequel film The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum sees Serkis pulling double duty – more than he already does in the Gollum/Sméagol dual role. Despite turning down the role, he’s also stepping into the director’s chair, making him the only person other than Peter Jackson to helm a live-action Lord of the Rings. the movie.
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Before The Hunt for GollumWith New Zealand production underway, Serkis spoke with Mashable Entertainment Reporter Belen Edwards about what viewers can expect from the film.
“The joy of [The Hunt for Gollum] that it’s completely its own story, but it fits right into the script, the tone, the feel of the Middle-Earth films that Peter Jackson established 25 years ago,” Serkis said.
According to Serkis, the film “sits in the middle of The Hobbit trilogy and The Lord of the Rings.” It will follow Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and Aragorn (Jamie Dornan, acting as Viggo Mortensen) to search for Gollum before the War of the Ring. JRR Tolkien wrote about this hunt Engagement Ring and Appendices for the trilogy, with Jackson’s films briefly mentioned.
Everything we know about ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’
The Hunt for Gollum is the latest step in Warner Bros. Pictures’ expansion of their Middle-earth titles. In 2025 an anime film was released The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim. Then, on March 25, Warner Bros The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of the Past (active subject), Lord of the Rings a sequel written by Philippa Boyens, Tolkien’s biggest fan Stephen Colbert, and his son Peter McGee.
The Lord of the Rings Flood headlines may raise alarms about the dilution of a beloved franchise. For Serkis’ part, it’s not The Hunt for Gollum.
“The story, so the way we see the story, is unique and unique to this story,” Serkis said. “It’s not just a nostalgia movie. We see a lot of those, and we’re really focused on nostalgia and the things that we liked about those movies from 25 and 30 years ago. [The Hunt for Gollum] it sticks to that world, but it’s definitely fresh and new in terms of the actual story.”
The newness extends to the actors as well. The Hunt for Gollum features the return of several familiar faces: Serkis, McKellen, Elijah Wood, and Lee Pace reprise their roles from Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. However, the film also invites a few newcomers to Middle-earth. Kate Winslet and Leo Woodall play Marigol and Halvard, two unnamed characters in Tolkien’s original novels or films, while Jamie Dornan takes the role of Aragorn from Viggo Mortensen.
“We call him Strider in our movie. He’s at another point in his journey, so he’s a little different than the Aragorn we see later,” Serkis explained. “It’s the version of him that’s been out in the wilderness as a Dúnedain Ranger. I’ll leave it at that, but Jamie is perfect for this part of the character’s journey.”
For more from Serkis, including his favorite Lord of the Rings meme and his thoughts Andorcheck out fully It means a lot interview above.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum begins playing in theaters in 2027.
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