Ian McKellen excited Lord of the Rings fans earlier this year when he hinted that his new film, The Hunt for Gollum, would actually be a two-parter. Not so fast. Screenwriter Philippa Boyen, who worked on Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, confirmed to Empire that The Hunt for Gollum is one movie. But beyond that, there could be more live-action “Ring” movies in the works.
“I can tell you it’s not two movies!” Boyens said. “It was a pure misunderstanding that happened because we started working on two conceptually different live-action films. The first was ‘The Hunt For Gollum,’ and the second is still unconfirmed. .”
Boyens co-wrote The Hunt for Gollum with longtime Ring collaborators Fran Walsh, Phoebe Gittins, and Artie Papageorgio. She called the new film “a pretty intense story that unfolds after Bilbo’s birthday party and before the mines of Moria.” This is part of an amazing untold story told through the eyes of this incredible creature. ”
Andy Serkis, who played Gollum using motion capture in Jackson’s trilogy, is directing “The Hunt for Gollum.” The original cast members of The Ring, including Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Orlando Bloom (Legolas), and Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn), said they would be willing to work if the story made sense for their characters. He has expressed interest in continuing his role in the new work. According to Boyen, the future of the Ring movies beyond The Hunt for Gollum likely lies with Gandalf.
“We’re playing around with a lot of ideas, and most of those ideas include Gandalf,” Boyen said of the future. “So Gandalf could potentially return in two live-action films.”
“The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum” was announced in May, with Jackson serving as producer along with Boyen and Walsh. The film is planned for theatrical release in 2026 by Warner Bros. and New Line.
