First THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM Set Photos Take Us Back to the Shire
Middle-earth is calling us back, and these new photos are hitting me right in my Tolkien-loving heart. Warner Bros. has released the first batch of set photos from The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, which is currently filming in New Zealand.
The images were shared on TikTok in celebration of Hobbit Day, and they give us our first proper look at the Shire along with what appears to be Elijah Wood returning as Frodo Baggins.
The Shire looks pretty much exactly how fans would want it to look. Green hills, cozy Hobbit homes, fresh-faced Hobbits wandering around, and Bag End sitting there like we never left.
One of the most interesting photos shows Frodo from behind as he prepares to open Bag End's unmistakable round green door.
We can't actually see his face in the shot, so there's no way to confirm from the photo alone that Wood is the person standing there. Still, Frodo is officially returning for the movie, and getting another look at the character at Bag End is enough to get the nostalgia going.
The photos also feature Andy Serkis, who is returning as Gollum and directing the film. Throw Howard Shore's familiar music over these images and it's incredibly easy to start imagining ourselves back in Peter Jackson's Middle-earth.
Fans recently got another small taste of the returning cast when Ian McKellen appeared as Gandalf in a video message for musician Troye Sivan, who had asked the actor to narrate his music video for "Party."
It wasn't an official Gandalf reveal from the production, but seeing McKellen back in the familiar look was still really cool.
The Hunt for Gollum takes place before the events of The Lord of the Rings trilogy and follows Aragorn's pursuit of Gollum. Jamie Dornan is stepping into the role of Aragorn, previously played by Viggo Mortensen.
Wood, Serkis, and McKellen are returning as Frodo, Gollum, and Gandalf, while Lee Pace is also coming back as the Elvenking Thranduil from The Hobbit films.
There are several new faces joining Middle-earth as well. Anya Taylor-Joy will play Seren, Leo Woodall is Halvard, and Kate Winslet will play Marigol.
Production kicked off in July with a teaser that included a hidden "precious" message for Tolkien fans to decipher. Now that filming is underway and we're actually seeing the Shire again, the project is starting to feel much more tangible.
I'm a huge fan of both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies, so I'm rooting hard for The Hunt for Gollum. I want another great movie that pulls me completely back into Middle-earth and makes me forget I'm sitting in a theater for a few hours.
There's something special about returning to the Shire and seeing Frodo standing outside Bag End again. Those movies created a version of Middle-earth that I've loved spending time in for years, and I'm hoping this new adventure can capture some of that magic while giving us a story worth returning for.
Before that happens, fans will have The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 3, which arrives on Prime Video in November.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is scheduled to hit theaters on December 17, 2027.