Lord Of The Rings The Hunt For Gollum narrows its focus as Aragorn steps forward
Ian McKellen says that in lord of the rings the hunt for gollum Aragorn will take charge of the search for Gollum while Gandalf directs operations from the sidelines, a shift that the filmmakers and screenwriter Philippa Boyens say will steer the film toward a psychological, character-driven story set to reach theaters on December 17, 2027.
Andy Serkis will direct and return to play Gollum, and the project lists Peter Jackson as a producer with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens credited as writers and producers; McKellen described the screenplay as "designed to appeal to people who like Lord of the Rings, " and said the film is "an adventure story, Aragorn trying to find Gollum with Gandalf directing operations from the sidelines. "
Lord Of The Rings The Hunt For Gollum shifts the quest onto Aragorn
The adaptation moves a familiar off-page episode into the foreground: in the original novels Gandalf tells Frodo that he and Aragorn spent years searching for Gollum, and the new film places Aragorn, still known as Strider, at the center of that pursuit while Gandalf assumes a "wizardly mission controller" role, McKellen said.
Boyens promises a "really strong psychological" interior story
Screenwriter Philippa Boyens described the film as "an adventure story" that also carries "a really strong psychological, interior story, " and she emphasized that Andy Serkis's performance will remain physically demanding; Boyens recounted being on the motion-capture stage and telling Serkis "assume the position, " then asking him, "Can you start ageing?" to highlight the actor's physical commitment.
A Tolkien fan site has shared what it insists is an official synopsis for the movie, placing the story in the shadowed interval between Bilbo Baggins's disappearance and the Fellowship's formation; that synopsis frames young Sméagol's early attraction to trinkets, Bilbo carrying the One Ring away, and Gandalf calling on Aragorn to track Gollum because the creature's knowledge could tip the balance toward Sauron, turning a brief backstory beat from the original trilogy into a near-biocentric origin tale.
The project is scheduled to enter production this year and currently has three confirmed cast members: Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins, and Andy Serkis as Gollum; the film's release date is set for December 17, 2027, and the production push this year is the next concrete milestone for the team.
With Serkis directing, Boyens writing and producing, and Jackson attached as a producer, the filmmakers are positioning the picture to bridge elements of the earlier films with new material about Sméagol's descent into Gollum, and the confirmed December 17, 2027 release date stands as the next public checkpoint for the project.
