Elijah Wood Won’t Confirm THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM Return, but Says He Wouldn’t Want Anyone Else Playing Frodo
It has been seven months since Sir Ian McKellen spilled the beans about his return to The Lord of the Rings franchise as Gandalf in the upcoming film The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.
Not only did he reveal at a London fan event that he would be coming back, but he also stated his co-star Elijah Wood, would be returning to play Frodo Baggins.
It’s been so long since that reveal, that it’s hard to believe the studio hasn’t made it official, but in the spirit of honoring the “secret,” Wood is still being very careful when talking about the upcoming project.
In a recent interview with The Times U.K., the actor acknowledged the elephant in the room, and carefully chose his words while describing his excitement about the “possible” return:
“It hasn’t been officially announced, but at a convention last August, Ian sort of let the cat out of the bag. So there is a good chance. I’m not able to officially say anything until it’s announced, but I will say I’m thrilled with the prospect of another film.
“It’s always a little nerve-racking when people talk about new movies for a world like Middle-earth. Everyone gets a little protective and hopes it retains its level of integrity, but this story is fun, thrilling. There is a genuine feeling of getting the band back together.”
“I’m just excited,” Wood continued. As the interviewer noted that McKellen previously expressed he would not allow anyone else to play Gandalf, Wood answered:
“Well, no, and I totally get that. I certainly wouldn’t want anybody else to play Frodo either as long as I’m alive and able. And I can also recognize what fun that is going to be — when you are in the cinema and you see the hat turn around and it’s Gandalf. Because I’m also a fan, and excited to see how it all comes together.”
Set for release in late 2027, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will tell the story of what happened between the end of The Hobbit prequel trilogy and the beginning of The Lord of the Rings.
The new installment will reunite the Oscar-winning team behind The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, as they produce two new films for Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema.
Zane Weiner is also producing. Walsh and Boyens are writing the screenplay, along with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou.
via: Deadline