Andy Serkis has revealed when filming forThe Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollumwill begin. Taking place betweenThe HobbitandThe Fellowship of the Ring,The Hunt for Gollum’s storywill explore more of the titular character’s journey before meeting Frodo and his fateful end inThe Return of the King. With Serkis reprising his iconic role fromThe Lord of the Ringsfilms, audiences will see the actor play Gollum for the first time since 2012’sThe Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
When speaking withColliderabout the making ofThe Hunt for Gollum, Serkis revealed that the film is in the early production stages, and thatshooting will take place"in the early to mid-part of next year.“Though Serkis says thatThe Hunt for Gollumis a"sizable movie,“he is excited to start working on the film, which he claims will be ready for a December 2027 release:
“I’m incredibly excited to go back and work with my friends and family in New Zealand and actually do something which is, I think, going to besurprising, and yet very much part of the lore and the feel of the trilogy. The sensibility of it will feel, I think, close to that, and yet we’re investigating in greater depth the character formerly known as Smeagol, but mostly known as Gollum.”
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Overall,The Hunt for Gollumseems to be on the right track with its production schedule. Whilethe release of Gollum’s movie was pushed backa year, it appears that the team behind the project is nearly ready to begin filming.It often takes one to two years for a Hollywood blockbuster to be filmed and edited, so starting anytime between January and June 2026 should give the filmmakers enough time to finishThe Hunt for Gollum.
Serkis' comments also suggest thatthe story ofThe Hunt for Gollumwill remain faithful to the lore and aesthetic of Peter Jackson’sLord of the Ringstrilogy, especially since filming will take place in New Zealand like the franchise’s previous movies. Likewise, Serkis implied that the film will explore the character of Smeagol/Gollum in a way no other movie has done before. This should help makeThe Hunt for Golluman epic and unique study of one of the most compelling characters in theLord of the Ringsfranchise.
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Despite Gollum’s popularity amongLord of the Ringsfans, a live-action solo feature about the character seemed like an unusual choice for a big-budget film. Sincehe is an antagonist who spends much of the franchise lurking in the shadows, scheming against the main protagonists, it was unclear if Gollum could carry his own movie. It seemed like this project could’ve been shelved, especially after bothThe Hunt for Gollum’s previous delayand the lackluster performance ofThe Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.
However, Serkis' comments assert that the filmmakers are committed to makingThe Hunt for Gollum, indicating their faith in the project. It is too early to judge a project before production has even begun, so audiences should see what the film’s creators have in store within one to two years. The movies explored some of Gollum’s tragic backstory involving the One Ring and his conflicted character. However,The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollumcould present a new side to his mysterious characterthat has not yet been seen, and must be shown on the big screen.
