Elijah Wood has addressed whether he's going to appear in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. This upcoming feature will be directed by Andy Serkis, who will also be reprising his role as Gollum. So far, it has been confirmed that Sir Ian McKellen will also be reprising his role as Gandalf, while other former actors like John Rhys-Davies and Viggo Mortensen have expressed interest in being part of the project but aren't confirmed to return.
According to ScreenRant, Wood appeared at a panel at FAN EXPO New Orleans, where he talked about his potential appearance in the upcoming fantasy film. Unfortunately, he didn't give a solid answer, but he likes the idea of "getting the band back together," not only just the actors, but the creative team as well, and is excited to see Serkis bring this project to life. He also said to trust in McKellan's words, thus hinting a high chance that he will be returning to Middle Earth.
"I can neither confirm nor deny. Listen, a wizard is to be trusted. Aside from any of that, I'm not really allowed to confirm. I'm really excited about the film. I think it really is a creative 'getting the band back together.' A lot of the creative heads of department are back and in that space again. Philippa [Boyens] I think, is co-writing it and producing it. It's very much that core original group getting back together to tell this story that will feel like a really fun exploration of this character that we all love so much. And I'm just really excited.
I'm excited for Andy to direct it. It feels so unbelievably appropriate that he directs a film about his character that he has really made his own. I'm thrilled. It'll be great. And I'm excited to see...I know their intention is to make other films in this universe. And that's exciting, interesting to see where that goes, but very exciting."
What do we know about The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum?
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is an upcoming spinoff film that was first announced in 2024 and will be directed by Serkis, who previously helmed Venom: Let There Be Carnage and the upcoming Animal Farm. According to ScreenRant, Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson teased that the series will focus on Gollum's backstory and how his two personalities contrast. It was previously reported that Serkis was heading to New Zealand in September 2025 and that filming is scheduled to take place sometime in mid-2026.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum enters theaters in December 2027.