‘Lord of the Rings’: Frodo’s Return in ‘Hunt for Gollum’ Fixes Timeline

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Get ready to revisit Middle-earth! Production is beginning on The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, the newest installment in the beloved franchise, scheduled for release on December 17, 2027. Andy Serkis will direct and reprise his role as Gollum, and Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood will return as Gandalf and Frodo, respectively. Wood’s involvement is especially interesting, as it raises questions about the rich history established in J.R.R. Tolkien’s influential novel and the original Peter Jackson films that defined modern fantasy.

Frodo’s appearance in The Hunt for Gollum helps fix a timeline issue with Tolkien’s original story. The events in that new film take place 25 years before The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, the first movie in Jackson’s trilogy.

About ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’


New Line Cinema

The Hunt for Gollum takes place between Bilbo Baggins’ birthday party – as seen at the start of The Fellowship of the Ring – and Frodo’s departure from the Shire. After becoming wary of Bilbo’s ring, Gandalf discovers it’s actually the One Ring. Aragorn and Gandalf then search for Gollum, also known as Sméagol, hoping to stop him from revealing the Ring’s secrets to Sauron.

Sauron captured Gollum, a Stoor who had wandered into Mordor, and tortured him to learn about the Ring. After releasing Gollum, Sauron, Aragorn later found Gollum and took him to Mirkwood, the kingdom of King Thranduil. Tolkien states that a total of seventeen years passed from Bilbo’s party to Frodo’s journey, but the actual pursuit of Gollum lasted for eight years.

Andy Serkis is directing The Hunt for Gollum, and the screenplay is a collaborative effort by Philippa Boyens, Phoebe Gittins, Fran Walsh, and Arty Papageorgiou. Viggo Mortensen won’t be returning as Aragorn, and they are currently looking for a new, younger actor to take on the role. Mortensen had previously mentioned in 2024 that he was open to revisiting the franchise.

I’m not familiar with the details yet, but I might find out. I really enjoyed playing that character and learned a lot from the experience. I’d consider revisiting the role, but only if it feels right for me now, considering my current age and whether I’m a good fit. It wouldn’t make sense to do it otherwise.

Frodo’s Involvement Clarifies the Hunt’s Timeline


New Line Cinema

The movie The Fellowship of the Ring mentions the pursuit of Gollum, but it isn’t actually shown. This hunt takes place between Bilbo’s party and Frodo’s journey to Rivendell. Considering the films are already quite long, it’s understandable that Peter Jackson chose to show Aragorn and Gandalf’s search for Sméagol as something that happens off-screen – seventeen years is a significant amount of time to cover.

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Adding Wood as Frodo clarifies the events of the hunt, showing where it fits within the first movie’s timeline and how it increases the tension for our main character. While Frodo isn’t directly involved in the hunt, he is in the Shire at the same time. He could even make a brief appearance at the end, since Gandalf doesn’t ask him to leave home until after Aragorn finds Gollum. Ultimately, the story can concentrate on the actual period of the hunt – roughly from the years 3000 to 3017 of the Third Age, with Aragorn and Gandalf beginning their search in the year 3009.

The Hunt for Gollum will expand on a key moment in Middle-earth’s past and also hint at future events. It might even change how fans see these characters.

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2026-01-06 23:03