Everything we know about the new 'Lord of the Rings' film ‘The Hunt for Gollum'

If you gave me millions of dollars and told me to make a Middle-earth film, I’m not sure that mine would take place in the Third Age (which is when “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy take place). I might make an exception to play with young Aragorn—specifically his time with the Dúnedain, but even that would come with specific challenges, one of the most significant being casting someone other than Viggo Mortenson to play Strider.

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I certainly wouldn’t have had the instinct to delve into the period of time when Gandalf and Aragorn search for Gollum (post-Bilbo leaving the Shire in “The Fellowship of the Ring” and pre-Gandalf urging Frodo to leave) because, well, we’ve seen a lot from that time and by an epic cast of actors who still hold up.

(For the record, I’d go with the story of Beren and Luthien in the First Age, and, yes, I am available to adapt this, decision-makers in the Tolkien estate.)

That said, “The Hunt for Gollum” has me intrigued.

the hunt for gollum lotr warner bros — Andy Serkis as Gollum in “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.” (New Line Productions, Inc.)

First of all, the film is being directed by Andy Serkis, who not only played Gollum in Peter Jackson’s films, but who also beautifully voiced the narration of the audiobooks and recently captivated fans in “Andor.” The man has skillz, is what I’m saying. If he’s got an idea, I’m willing to hear him out.

Peter Jackson is also attached as a producer and Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens will write and produce—just as they did on Jackson’s original (Academy Award-winning) trilogy.

So, look, the film is starting out with all-star talent behind the lens.

And while Warner Bros. hasn’t released an official description or teaser trailer yet, we are getting very cool casting announcements. Serkis will return as Gollum alongside Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Elijah Wood as Frodo, and Lee Pace as the elven king Thranduil.

the hunt for gollum gandalf nlp inc — Look, I’ll watch him do anything. (New Line Productions, Inc.)

Newcomers include Kate Winslet (“Titanic”), Leo Woodall (“Nuremberg”), and Anya Taylor-Joy (“The Queen’s Gambit”) as an elf (fitting), along with Jamie Dornan (“Fifty Shades of Grey”) as Strider.

Yep, they’ve confirmed their young Aragorn, and Dornan will have big shoes to fill. It’s nearly an impossible task to step into a prequel role of such a beloved character, especially when the originating actor is still around. Just ask Alden Ehrenreich, who played a young Han Solo in “Solo: A Star Wars Story”—no matter how talented and charismatic he was, Harrison Ford is simply too iconic.

Middle-earth has already had its fair share of prequel casting complaints with its series, “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.” Again, it is hard for audiences to reconcile with casting a young Galadriel who is not Cate Blanchett or a young Elrond who is not Hugo Weaving (or, apparently, casting a person of color as a fake species of being in a make believe realm).

But if fans love these stories—and love the characters within them—then why not hope for more? There will always be complaints, but these stories do not belong to the fanbase who discovered them first. They belong to anyone who enjoys them, and that could very well include audiences who see “The Hunt for Gollum” before they ever see the original trilogy (or, hell, those creepy cartoons from the 70s).

gollum cartoon the hunt for gollum lotr nlc inc — Remember this? BECAUSE I CAN NEVER FORGET. (United Artists)

So what else do we know?

The film will be released worldwide on Dec. 17, 2027.

Taylor-Joy’s character, Seren, is a Sindar Elf of the Woodland Realm and “a trusted and lethal agent of King Thranduil” according to Variety.

Winslet will play a character named Marigol, who is not a canonical character within Tolkien’s vast universe. She does, however, bear an etymological resemblance to Sméagol or Déagol, two smallfolk two bear the -gol suffix (Déagol was the Hobbit-like man that Sméagol murdered so he could steal the One Ring from him).

Some fans have wondered if Winslet will play Gollum’s grandmother, but the truth is that it’s just too soon to tell.

The Tolkien fan site TheOneRing.net claimed to have released a leaked synopsis of the film, but again, Warner Bros. has confirmed that no official synopsis for “The Hunt for Gollum” has been released:

“Before the Fellowship, one creature’s obsession holds the key to Middle-earth’s survival – or its demise. In “The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum,” we meet young Sméagol – an outsider drawn to trinkets and mischief – long before the One Ring consumed him and began his tragic descent into the tortured, deceitful creature Gollum. With the ring lost and carried away by Bilbo Baggins, Gollum finds himself compelled to leave his cave in search of it.

Gandalf the Grey calls upon Aragorn, still known as the ranger Strider, to track the elusive creature whose knowledge of the whereabouts of the ring could tip the balance toward the Dark Lord Sauron. Set in the shadowed time between Bilbo’s birthday disappearance and the Fellowship’s formation, this perilous journey through Middle-earth’s darkest corners reveals untold truths, tests the resolve of its future king, and explores the fractured soul and backstory of Gollum, one of Tolkien’s most enigmatic characters.”

Will this be the story? We will have to wait and see.

In the meantime, we will get more “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” when season 3 returns in November 2026, and of course, more rumors abound with the next film in the fantasy franchise, “The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past,” which will be written by Boyens, Stephen Colbert, and Peter McGee (“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”).