Sir Ian McKellen Teases Return of a Major ‘Lord of the Rings’ Character in ‘The Hunt for Gollum’
Middle-earth is coming back to the big screen, and Frodo might be coming with it. Sir Ian McKellen, who played the wizard in the original Lord of the Rings trilogy, surprised fans over the weekend when he teased that both Gandalf and Frodo will appear in the upcoming film The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.
At the For the Love of Fantasy fan event in London, McKellen spoke to the crowd about the project. “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,” he said, referring to Andy Serkis, who is not only directing but also returning as Gollum.
The actor then shared more details that stunned the audience. “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,” he revealed with a smile. As the crowd reacted, he added playfully, “Apart from that, my lips are sealed!”
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Elijah Wood, who played Frodo in the original films, was at the same event along with Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, and John Rhys-Davies. While McKellen didn’t confirm whether he or Wood would reprise their roles, Wood’s reaction on stage kept the speculation alive.
The new movie is part of Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema’s plan to expand the Lord of the Rings franchise after Middle-earth Enterprises was acquired by Embracer Group. In May 2024, the studios announced two new live-action films were in development with Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens producing. The first of these films is The Hunt for Gollum. Boyens later said, “We’ve begun to work, conceptually, on two different live-action films. The first being The Hunt for Gollum, the second one still to be confirmed.” She also explained that both films include the character of Gandalf.
In February 2025, Andy Serkis confirmed that filming is set for 2026. RNZ reported that Wellington, New Zealand will once again be the main production hub. The release date is scheduled for December 17, 2027.
On the business side, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav spoke about the project during the company’s earnings call, saying that The Hunt for Gollum is one of the studio’s highest priorities, alongside new Batman, Superman, and Harry Potter films.
McKellen has previously said he would be open to playing Gandalf again.
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