Right after receiving a promising update from the Warner Bros. boss, the upcoming new The Lord of the Rings movie The Hunt for Gollum landed another unexpected but super-exciting reveal from one of the stars of the original trilogy. Two of the franchise's biggest characters have officially been confirmed to appear in the next chapter of the enthralling saga.
While speaking at the For the Love of Fantasy fan event in London on Aug. 17 and on stage with Frodo himself Elijah Wood, Sir Ian McKellen shared that both Frodo and his character Gandalf are set to appear in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. Even though fans had speculated that the characters could be part of the story, this is the first official confirmation of their involvement.
McKellen didn't elaborate on how the characters would appear in the movie, whether he and Wood would be somehow reprising Frodo and Galdalf, or if director Andy Serkis would be recasting the roles, but the actor did share another big of exciting news that fans have been waiting for. According to McKellen, filming on The Hunt for Gollum begins in May 2026.
As McKellen spoke directly to fans on stage, "I hear there’s going to be another movie set 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. 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. Apart from that, my lips are sealed."
By all means, we would love for McKellen to not seal his lips and continue spilling the beans about what to expect from the upcoming movie! McKellen and Wood were joined on stage at the For the Love of Fantasy event by fellow cast members Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, and Dominic Monaghan, and by the looks of their faces, no one was expecting him to make that announcement.
Details have been scarce since the film was first announced, though earlier this spring, Warner Bros. set a theatrical release date for Dec. 17, 2027. Hopefully, the movie stays on tracks and sticks to that date and isn't pushed back into 2028. It's common for tentpole movies like this one to shuffle around the release schedule, but let's not manifest that for The Lord of the Rings.
According to McKellen, The Hunt for Gollum should be right on track and cameras should start rolling ahead of summer next year. But the question remains if he'll be back in Gandalf's iconic hat and cloak. Last year, he shared his desire to step back into his celebrated role by saying, "They hope that I’ll be playing him." Sounds like that powers that be are hoping for his return, too.
Stay tuned to Winter is Coming for more of the latest The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum news and updates!