Posted in: Movies, New Line Cinema, Warner Bros | Tagged: The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum

The Hunt for Gollum Has A "Strong Psychological, Interior Story"

Philippa Boyens describes The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum as "an adventure story with a really strong psychological, interior story."

Empire started teasing something related to The Lord of the Rings a few days ago, and it ended up being a massive feature on the 25th anniversary. They aren't leaving us completely high and dry when it comes to the movies that are currently in varying levels of production. At the time of writing, there is only one project that has any movement, and that is The Hunt for Gollum. It's unclear whether or not that is a working title, but the more people seem to use it definitively, the more it seems like it's going to stick. All of the usual players, Peter Jackson producing and Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens writing, with Andy Serkis set to star and direct. Boyens teased the film a little and talked about seeing Serkies doing some test footage for the film.

"It's an adventure story with a really strong psychological, interior story that's going on as well," Boyens explained. "I was on the mo-cap stage, and I said to Andy, 'Right, assume the position.' I cannot believe how fit that guy is as he clambered up the structure. It's ridiculous. I'm like, 'Can you start ageing?'"

Serkies has talked about "returning to the character he can't escape from" with The Hunt for Gollum, and he essentially reiterated the sentiment in an essay he wrote for the Empire anniversary piece. However, he also went on to talk about the challenge of directing a film that has been such an important part of so many people's lives.

"It is a phenomenal challenge, exciting and of course terrifying at the same time," Serkis writes. "We have a very specific task ahead of us. A return to Middle-earth, that satisfies the passion and the love that generations of Lord Of The Rings fans have for these stories, whilst also presenting something completely fresh and new for first-timers to Middle-earth, with one of Tolkien's richest and most complex characters at its heart."

The Hunt for Gollumi is in pre-production in New Zealand, so maybe we'll start getting some casting information as the anniversary celebration continues.

The Hunt for Gollum Is The First Of Two New Live-Action LOTR Films

We first learned that franchise MVP Serkis would direct and star in The Hunt for Gollum, with  Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens writing the screenplay, and Walsh, Boyens, and Peter Jackson are producing along with Zane Weiner back in May 2024. The film will be executive-produced by Ken Kamins, with Serkis and The Imaginarium's Jonathan Cavendish. In October 2024, Boyens revealed when the film will take place, "It's quite an intense story, which falls after the birthday party of Bilbo and before the Mines Of Moria. It's a specific chunk of incredible untold story, told through the perspective of this incredible creature."

That same interview was when it was cleared up that The Hunt for Gollum is not two films, but they are working on two different live-action Lord of the Rings movies, and The Hunt for Gollum is one of them. "I can tell you definitively it isn't two films!" she says. "That was a genuine misunderstanding that happened because we've begun to work, conceptually, on two different live-action films. The first being The Hunt For Gollum, the second one still to be confirmed." We still don't have any specific details about that second film yet. However, considering how badly The War of the Rohirrim performed at the box office, it wouldn't be surprising if we didn't hear much until the number for The Hunt for Gollum rolls in on Monday after release. In May 2025, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum (it's unclear whether or not this is still a working title) was dated for December 17, 2027.

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