Latest news with #TheHuntForGollum
Gizmodo
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Gizmodo
How Could Frodo Be in ‘The Hunt for Gollum'?
This weekend, Ian McKellen had a bit of Hobbiton-disturber-of-the-peace energy about himself when he revealed at a fantasy convention in London that Frodo Baggins would appear in Andy Serkis' upcoming Lord of the Rings prequel movie, The Hunt for Gollum. Frodo is far from the only familiar face who has been teased as making a potential appearance in the film (due out in 2027), but he is a particularly interesting one considering the chronology of events we already know from Tolkien's books. Speaking to Empire Magazine late last year, producer Phillipa Boyens said that The Hunt for Gollum 'falls after the birthday party of Bilbo and before the Mines of Moria' during the events of The Fellowship of the Ring. We've already seen parts of that journey in both the theatrical release and extended editions of the film. Galadriel's prologue covers Bilbo's finding of the ring (before, again, we see that covered even further during The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey), and we see moments of Gollum's torture at the hands of Sauron's forces pointing the Ringwraiths to the Shore. Several scenes added in the extended cut see members of the Fellowship acknowledge that they are being tracked by Gollum by the time they have arrived in Moria. In the chronology of Tolkien's own writing, events play out similarly, but we learn that, in contrast to the perception of the movie, those events take place over a much, much longer period of time. One of the things most poorly conveyed from the books in the film adaptation of Fellowship is that almost two decades pass between Gandalf leaving Frodo in the Shire after Bilbo departs for Rivendell and the meeting of the council of Elrond that puts into motion the quest to destroy the One Ring once and for all. In Tolkien's writing, Bilbo's 111th birthday celebration takes place in the year 3001 of the Third Age, and in that same year, Gandalf recruits Aragorn to track and find Gollum's whereabouts, after the two first crossed paths almost half a century earlier. Gollum had left his cave dwellings in the Misty Mountains in 2944 to search for the halfling who took the ring from him and was captured in 3009 by Aragorn. After being brought to the realms of Mirkwood for interrogation, Gollum flees the elven realms while they are attacked by the forces of Mordor almost a decade later in 3018—a year after Gandalf, as seen in Fellowship of the Ring, rides to Gondor's capital, Minas Tirith, and uncovers information leading him to believe that Bilbo's magic ring is indeed the One Ring of power. The Council of Elrond, where Gandalf details his history tracking Gollum in the books, takes place in October of that year. That means Gollum's capture by the forces of Sauron and the torture that eventually leads to him sharing his knowledge of the ring's location occur at some point in the almost 70 years between leaving his mountain home and his capture by Aragorn. And that which is conveyed as weeks or months at best in the film adaptation of Fellowship of the Ring is actually seventeen years. The only real acknowledgement that a significant passage of time has occurred is Bilbo's own aging, although that can be in part credited to his vitality no longer being sustained by the One Ring. The answer is that we simply don't know, beyond the fact that he continued to stay at Bag End after Bilbo's departure from the Shire and that he kept the ring hidden as per Gandalf's request. We know that, at Gandalf's request when he went to Aragorn to discuss finding Gollum, Dúnedain rangers kept watch over the Shire, which probably means that Frodo wasn't exactly running around Middle-earth for fun during that time, so he presumably stayed living the same life he had since coming under Bilbo's guardianship. Well, the easy answer is that Frodo doesn't have to be a hugely involved character in however the film portrays its version of the passage of time from Tolkien's books and writings. Peter Jackson's film trilogy already played loose in communicating, for the most part, the years that pass between the events of Fellowship, Two Towers, and Return of the King, and we don't know enough yet about what kind of time frame Hunt for Gollum will spread its own interpretation over. But regardless of that, Frodo is at least present in three largely vague points: the opening, set with Gandalf departing the Shire and recruiting Aragorn after Bilbo's party; the ending, which presumably climaxes with Gandalf's return to the Shire to confirm his belief that the One Ring has been found; and then literally anywhere between those two points, waiting out for word from Gandalf and living his best halfling life. Any role Frodo would have in Hunt for Gollum could be incredibly slight. The film could also take the approach The Hobbit trilogy did with its own Frodo appearance. There, Frodo appears in the framing device that opens An Unexpected Journey alongside the late Ian Holm, once again portraying the older Bilbo, as the two hobbits discuss Bilbo writing the story of his adventures. Hunt for Gollum could very easily, say, flash back from Frodo writing his own adventures down in Return of the King's epilogue to him wondering what Gandalf did after he left the Shire again. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Digital Trends
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Digital Trends
Frodo and Gandalf shall return in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum
The heroes of Middle-earth are making a comeback in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. Actor Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings movies, revealed that both Gandalf and Frodo will return to Middle-earth on the big screen. McKellen broke the news on August 17 at the For the Love of Fantasy fan event in London. 'I'll tell you two secrets about the casting,' said McKellen. 'There's a character in the movie called Frodo, and there's a character in the movie called Frodo, and there's a character in the movie called Gandalf. Apart from that, my lips are sealed.' Recommended Videos Scheduled to premiere on December 17, 2027, The Hunt for Gollum will be directed by Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in Jackson's Middle-earth films. Jackson will serve as a producer, with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, Phoebe Gittins, and Arty Papageorgiou writing the script. Warner Bros. will also produce the film under New Line Cinema. Screen Rant reports that The Hunt for Gollum will be set before Frodo leaves the Shire in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. It will follow Gollum when he is being pursued by Gandalf, Aragorn, and the Dark Lord Sauron. Frodo and Gandalf's appearance is huge news for fans of The Lord of the Rings films. While McKellen didn't state that he and Elijah Wood would portray Gandalf and Frodo in the film, Serkis is reprising his role as Gollum for the project. It stands to reason that both McKellen and Wood will join Serkis back in Middle-earth as their respective characters. If both McKellen and Wood do appear, The Hunt for Gollum would be the first film in 15 years that would feature both actors as Gandalf and Frodo, with the last one being 2012's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Gandalf and Frodo's return may be a huge boon for The Hunt for Gollum. The last theatrical film in the franchise, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, didn't perform that well commercially without Frodo or Gandalf. Since these two characters were some of the main characters in Jackson's Lord of the Rings films, they could attract enough fans to make The Hunt for Gollum a box-office success.
Geek Tyrant
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Ian McKellen Teases Gandalf and Frodo's Return in Andy Serkis' New LORD OF THE RINGS Movie — GeekTyrant
There's magic in the air again with Warner Bros. developing several new film projects set in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. While Ian McKellen isn't officially signed on to reprise his role as Gandalf yet, that didn't stop him from dropping some interesting hints about The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum during a fan event in London. At the For The Love Of Fantasy convention, McKellen was joined onstage by his Fellowship brothers Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, and Dominic Monaghan. And in classic McKellen fashion, he stirred up excitement by revealing that both Gandalf and Frodo are set to appear in the upcoming film, which will be directed by Andy Serkis aka Gollum. McKellen said to the crowd: 'I hear there's going to be another movie set in Middle-earth, and it's going to start filming in May. It's going to be directed by Gollum, and it's all about Gollum.' He then added: 'I'll tell you two secrets about the casting: There's a character in the movie called Frodo, and there's a character in the movie called Gandalf. Apart from that, my lips are sealed.' The film is slated for a theatrical release on December 17, 2027, but neither McKellen nor Wood have confirmed their involvement, though McKellen has long been open to donning the wizard's hat once more. McKellen previously said: 'Enthusiasm for The Lord of the Rings shows no sign of abating … I can't tell you any more than that. I've just been told there are going to be more films and Gandalf will be involved and they hope that I'll be playing him.' Backing the project is the powerhouse team behind the original trilogy including Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens returning as producers, with Zane Weiner also on board. The screenplay is being penned by Walsh and Boyens alongside Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou. With filming set to begin in May, fans can expect to learn more soon. Until then, the return of Gandalf and Frodo is more than enough to stoke the fires of of excitement and anticipation. And yes, McKellen even revisited one of his most iconic lines from The Fellowship of the Ring during the event, because what's a Gandalf tease without a bit of nostalgia? You can watch him talk about all about this in the videos below! Middle-earth is calling again, and it sounds like some familiar voices are answering.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
LoTR's Ian McKellen Drops Bombshell Casting News for The Hunt for Gollum
Sir Ian McKellen, who portrayed Gandalf in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, revealed exciting casting updates about The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. Directed by Andy Serkis, the movie will be the latest entry in the Lord of the Rings cinematic franchise. Ian McKellen says Gandalf and Frodo will return in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum Ian McKellen appeared at the For the Love of Fantasy fan event in London, England, on Sunday, August 17, and spoke about the return of his character, Gandalf, and Frodo in The Hunt for Gollum. 'I hear there's going to be another movie based in Middle-earth, and it's going to start filming in May. It's going to be directed by Gollum, and it's all about Gollum,' the veteran actor noted, referring to the fact that Serkis would also reprise his role as Gollum in the upcoming feature. 'I'll tell you two secrets about the casting: There's a character in the movie called Frodo, and there's a character in the movie called Gandalf,' the two-time Academy Award-nominated actor said, adding, 'Apart from that, my lips are sealed!' (via Entertainment Weekly) Although McKellen didn't explicitly say it, it's probably safe to assume that Elijah Wood will reprise his role as Frodo in the upcoming movie. Previously, McKellen expressed interest in returning as Gandalf in Serkis' feature. However, he noted that 'there is no script, there is no offer, there is no plan' at the time. He jokingly added that he would play Gandalf again if he were alive when the movie begins production (via The Times). The Hunt for Gollum is one of the two future LoTR installments currently in development. The other one remains untitled at the time of this article's composition. Serkis stated at the Fan Expo Vancouver 2025 that the production would start 'next year' (via The Direct). Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Phoebe Gittins, and Arty Papageorgiou penned the script from the original work by J. R. R. Tolkien. Peter Jackson, who directed both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, is producing the movie. The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum debuts in US theaters on December 17, 2027.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
First look at Andy Serkis' animated Animal Farm goes light on Orwellian satire, heavy on Seth Rogen
It's kind of ridiculous how long Andy Serkis has been trying to get an animated version of George Orwell's satirical allegory Animal Farm made: The first industry reports of the project (which was set up at Netflix for a minute, before they dropped it) date all the way back to 2012, when it was still being touted as Serkis' feature directorial debut. (He's since directed five films, most recently Venom sequel Let There Be Carnage, with his Lord Of The Rings film The Hunt For Gollum still on the way.) Now, though, the first glimpses of the animated Animal Farm have finally begun to roll out, and they're certain to delight scholars of Orwell's work who are also absolutely massive fans of Seth Rogen doing improvisational riffing during a voice take. Rogen is, of course, playing Orwell's tyrannical boar Napoleon in the animated adaptation, making for what we're fairly sure will be mainstream film's most vocally chill Joseph Stalin allegory ever. The first look released for the film also features a falsetto'd Gaten Matarazzo as 'Lucky,' who appears to be an original character for the film, and who gets manipulated by Napoleon into viewing him as a father figure—while receiving some rhetoric about how animals should stick within their species groups. (We don't get to hear Rogen's take on 'All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others' here, although the script feints at it for a second.) Kieran Culkin also appears as the film's version of Orwell's Squeaker, who, in this scene, is less a collective stand-in for state propaganda, and more a vehicle for mild social awkwardness comedy. Serkis has never been shy about the fact that he intended to soften Orwell's often-bleak fable a bit, the better to get kids watching. More than a decade ago, he told reporters 'We are not going to handle the politics in a heavy-handed fashion,' instead making a more 'emotionally centered' version of the story. (At the time, he was also taking about the movie as a heavily motion-capture-based project: That seems downplayed in the clip, although Napoleon's facial movements definitely have some Rogen-esque touches to them.) Animal Farm is set to have its world premiere on June 9, at the Annecy International Animal Film Festival. More from A.V. Club 3 new songs and 3 new albums to check out this weekend A teary Top Chef finds our final four in Milan First look at Andy Serkis' animated Animal Farm goes light on Orwellian satire, heavy on Seth Rogen
