Elijah Wood Talks Creative Team Returning for THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM
Elijah Wood is stirring excitement in Middle-earth once again. During his appearance at Mexico’s DesertCon, The Lord of the Rings star dropped some interesting details about the upcoming film The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, teasing that more familiar faces from the original trilogy could be returning.
The actor, best known for playing Frodo Baggins, expressed his enthusiasm for the project’s creative reunion, saying:
“It is really getting the creative band back together. The brain trust behind Lord of the Rings, Fran, Peter, Philippa, they are heavily involved.”
Wood went on to share that the film is bringing back much of the original production team that helped shape the beloved trilogy.
“The same production designers” are returning, he said, adding that the film “is going to be shot in New Zealand,” and will feature “so many people who are a part of Lord of the Rings.”
Directed by Andy Serkis, who will also reprise his iconic role as Gollum, the film draws from J.R.R. Tolkien’s appendices and focuses on Gandalf’s search for Gollum after discovering he may have revealed secrets about the One Ring to Sauron.
Production is set to begin in early 2026 in New Zealand, with Warner Bros. now targeting a December 2027 release. Alongside Serkis, both Sir Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood are confirmed to return as Gandalf and Frodo, respectively.
Wood’s comments have fueled growing speculation that even more members of the Fellowship might make appearances. Given the story’s timeline, characters like Aragorn and Arwen have key roles in Tolkien’s lore, which has fans wondering if Viggo Mortensen and Liv Tyler could be returning as well.
In the appendices, Aragorn actually helps Gandalf track down Gollum, so it seems like Mortensen could very well end up being involved if the creative team sticks to that storyline.
Meanwhile, Orlando Bloom addressed the rumors about his own return during an interview on the Today Show, saying, “I have not heard a peep, actually. I don’t know. I know it’s focusing on Gollum, so anything’s possible.”
He continued, “I’d hate to see anyone else play Legolas, you know what I mean? What are they going to do? Are they going to put somebody else in as Legolas?”
Bloom’s comments leave the door open, and given his history in all six Middle-earth films, fans would no doubt welcome his return.
With Serkis leading the charge both behind and in front of the camera, The Hunt for Gollum is looking to capture the magic that made The Lord of the Rings such a landmark cinematic achievement.
The promise of seeing Middle-earth once again through the lens of Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens’ creative team makes this one of the most anticipated fantasy films in development.
I can’t wait to see how this movie turns out!