LOTR: The Hunt For Gollum Will Have a Major Gandalf Lore Change

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Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy remains the most beloved adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s books, and soon audiences will be able to revisit that world in the new film, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. While Andy Serkis, who played Gollum, is directing instead of Peter Jackson, the movie will continue the story established in the original trilogy. Details about The Hunt for Gollum are still scarce, but Sir Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf, recently shared some information in an interview with The Times.

The interview primarily focused on Ian McKellen’s work in theater, but it also briefly covered The Hunt for Gollum. McKellen didn’t share many details, but he explained the film as an adventure where Aragorn searches for Gollum, with Gandalf offering guidance from a distance. This description has concerned fans, suggesting the movie might significantly change Gandalf’s role compared to the book.

Gandalf and Aragorn Should Be Partners in The Hunt for Gollum

It makes sense that Gandalf won’t be heavily involved, considering Ian McKellen’s age. He was 60 when filming began on the original trilogy, and will be 87 years old now. However, many fans of The Lord of the Rings are still sad to hear the news.

Ian McKellen is a well-loved actor, and his character Gandalf is also very popular with fans. However, it appears he won’t have a very active part in the upcoming story. This is a change from J.R.R. Tolkien’s original book, The Lord of the Rings, where both Gandalf and Aragorn played key roles in the hunt for Gollum throughout Middle-earth.

In a chapter of The Fellowship of the Ring called “The Shadow of the Past,” Gandalf told Frodo how he’d been searching for Gollum. The search had been fruitless until a skilled traveler and hunter – a friend of Gandalf’s – found Gollum after Gandalf had given up. This friend bravely brought the creature back after facing many dangers.

Gandalf was incredibly well-traveled throughout Middle-earth, which is why the Elves called him Mithrandir – a name meaning “Grey Pilgrim” or “Grey Wanderer.” While Aragorn ultimately captured Gollum, Gandalf played a crucial part in the search. Although the upcoming film by Serkis will differ from the original books – just as Jackson’s films did with Tolkien’s stories – the reduced role for Gandalf suggests there might be bigger changes ahead.

Nostalgia Will Be One of The Hunt for Gollum’s Main Draws

Since the announcement of The Hunt for Gollum, fans have wondered why this story was chosen for the first live-action Lord of the Rings film in over twenty years. Tolkien’s original account was quite brief and didn’t feature exciting action like battles.

The key to success for The Hunt for Gollum lies in how well it connects with what fans already love. The film will include familiar characters and places from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies. However, recent news suggests it might not fully capture that nostalgic feeling. For example, if Gandalf doesn’t join the new Aragorn on his adventure, the film could feel disconnected from the original trilogy and its beloved characters.

Dedicated fans of The Lord of the Rings will likely be excited about any new stories set in Middle-earth. However, more casual viewers might not be interested in The Hunt for Gollum if Ian McKellen doesn’t have a significant role. We saw this happen with The War of the Rohirrim, which cost $30 million to make but only earned a little over $20 million in theaters.

It’s still too soon to say for sure how good The Hunt for Gollum will be, but Ian McKellen seems optimistic about it, even considering the challenge of following The Lord of the Rings. Many thought a live-action Lord of the Rings film was impossible, but Peter Jackson and his team proved everyone wrong. Perhaps Andy Serkis can do the same and make The Hunt for Gollum a success.

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2026-02-17 03:06