The Hunt for Gollum Can Explain The Hobbit’s Aragorn Reference

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Andy Serkis’ new movie takes place in the time between Bilbo Baggins’ farewell party and Frodo’s journey leaving the Shire. It’s a story that runs alongside the events of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. The film will also continue the story begun in Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy, with Lee Pace reprising his role as Thranduil, the Elven king.

While The Hobbit movies weren’t as successful as The Lord of the Rings films, they’re still officially part of Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth story, and The Hunt for Gollum aims to connect the two trilogies. The new film will feature both Thranduil and Aragorn, giving director Andy Serkis and his team a chance to revisit a dangling plot point from Thranduil’s last scene in The Hobbit – a storyline that has been brewing for over ten years.

Thranduil Knew of Aragorn Long Before The Lord of the Rings

In The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, Thranduil had a conversation with his son, Legolas. After the battle, Legolas informed his father he wouldn’t be returning to the Woodland Realm. When Thranduil asked where he planned to go, Legolas admitted he didn’t know. Thranduil then offered one final piece of advice: “Head north and seek out the Dúnedain. There’s a young Ranger among them you should get to know. His father, Arathorn, was a good man, and his son has the potential to be great. People in the wilderness call him Strider, but you must discover his true name for yourself.”

I remember when Thranduil spoke – it was a powerful moment, and the music swelled with a familiar theme from The Lord of the Rings. He was talking about Aragorn, whom Strider also referred to. It was so clear that Legolas had taken his father’s guidance to heart. By the time of the Council of Elrond in The Fellowship of the Ring, Legolas and Aragorn were genuine friends. I especially remember Legolas passionately defending Aragorn when Boromir dared to question his leadership – it really showed how much he respected him.

I’ve been hearing a lot of buzz about whether Orlando Bloom will be back as Legolas in another Lord of the Rings project, but so far, there’s no word on him showing up in The Hunt for Gollum. That said, the new film still has a lot of potential! I’m particularly excited about the possibility of delving deeper into Thranduil’s backstory – specifically, how he connected with the Rangers of the North, something we only got a glimpse of at the end of The Hobbit. They could really build something special there, even without Legolas.

The Hunt for Gollum Can Lend Greater Depth to The Hobbit

Although J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings doesn’t mention it, it’s likely Thranduil and Arathorn knew each other. The Dúnedain (Rangers) were generally friendly with the Elves. The Rangers interacted more often with Elves closer to their territory in Eriador, but they also had dealings with the people of Thranduil. For example, Aragorn trusted the Elves of the Woodland Realm to hold Gollum safely until Gandalf could arrive, and that’s where he brought the creature after capturing him.

Aragorn’s father, Arathorn, was killed in battle against Orcs when Aragorn was only two years old. After his death, Aragorn’s mother, Gilraen, took him to Rivendell, where he was raised under Elrond’s care. Since the films portray Elrond as having only one child, Arwen, the story could be changed to say Arathorn died fighting alongside Elves from the Woodland Realm, possibly even King Thranduil himself. This would provide a logical reason for Thranduil to have known Arathorn.

The brief appearance of Aragorn in the last Hobbit movie was a nice treat for fans, but it didn’t really fit into the story. It also didn’t match up with the established timeline in Tolkien’s work – the Battle of the Five Armies happened in the year 2941 of the Third Age, while Aragorn didn’t leave Rivendell to become a Ranger until 2952, and wouldn’t be known as Strider for quite some time. However, expanding on the conversation between Thranduil and Legolas in The Hunt for Gollum could add a lot more depth and meaning to the story.

Showing that Thranduil and Arathorn were former allies would give new meaning to the relationship between Legolas and Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings. Their connection would become a continuation of a friendship from the previous generation, with each son honoring his father’s legacy. Because Aragorn was very young when his father, Arathorn, passed away, Thranduil could play a role in shaping Aragorn’s development by sharing what kind of man Arathorn was and the future he envisioned for his son.

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2026-05-03 14:40