Lord Of The Rings The Hunt For Gollum heads toward a psychological origin story

Phillipa Boyens says lord of the rings the hunt for gollum will pair the franchise’s adventure beats with "a really strong psychological, interior story, " a shift that the film’s creators and returning cast have been outlining as they prepare the new movie.

Lord Of The Rings The Hunt For Gollum leans into Gollum's psyche

Boyens, the screenwriter from the original Lord of the Rings trilogy, described the project as "an adventure story" that also explores the fractured inner life of its central figure, Gollum, noting that the film will play in that character’s psyche. Boyens recalled being on the mo-cap stage with Andy Serkis and said Serkis remained physically intense in performance, quoting a moment when she told him, "Right, assume the position, " as he clambered up the structure.

McKellen says Gandalf will take a back-seat role while Aragorn leads the hunt

Ian McKellen has signaled a different on-screen posture for Gandalf, saying the wizard will act more like "a wizardly mission controller" while Aragorn takes charge of the quest to find Gollum. McKellen said, "The script is designed to appeal to people who like Lord of the Rings, " and described the film as "an adventure story, Aragorn trying to find Gollum with Gandalf directing operations from the sidelines. " The synopsis that a Tolkien fan site published and insists is official frames the plot as taking place between Bilbo's disappearance and the Fellowship's formation and centers on Sméagol’s pre-ring years and his compulsion to search for the lost One Ring.

Creative team, scope and confirmed release date

The project is set to be directed by Andy Serkis, with Peter Jackson listed as a producer and Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyens credited as writers and producers in the circulated synopsis. That synopsis describes a story that tests Aragorn’s resolve, explores untold truths about Middle-earth, and presents Gollum’s origin as central to the world’s fate. The film is set for release December 17, 2027.

Filmmakers and returning performers have emphasized both the physicality of Serkis’s portrayal and the psychological focus Boyens highlighted, and the creative team has framed the movie as a bridge that expands one character’s backstory while connecting to the familiar events that precede the Fellowship. The next confirmed milestone for the project is its scheduled release on December 17, 2027.