Gandalf and Frodo Somehow Return in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, Ian McKellen Confirms

The Lord of the Rings prequel movie The Hunt for Gollum volition see the characters of Gandalf and Frodo, the legendary histrion Ian McKellen has confirmed.

The astonishment casting details were announced by Gandalf himself during a Lord of the Rings sheet astatine London's For the Love of Fantasy instrumentality normal this weekend, wherever McKellen and Frodo histrion Elijah Wood were successful attendance.

There, McKellen stood up to code the assemblage and connection up caller details of The Hunt for Gollum, including a caller commencement day for its New Zealand-set shoot, and confirmation that 2 members of the Fellowship volition beryllium successful the movie, to whoops and cheers from fans.

"Well, I perceive there's going to beryllium different movie acceptable successful Middle-earth," McKellen began. "And it's going to commencement to filming successful May. It's going to beryllium directed by Gollum, and it's each astir Gollum."

Here, McKellen is referring to the information that returning Gollum histrion Andy Serkis volition besides beryllium successful the director's seat for the movie, aft antecedently serving arsenic a 2nd portion manager connected Peter Jackson's Hobbit movie trilogy.

"And I'll archer you 2 secrets astir casting," McKellen continued. "There's a quality successful the movie called Frodo. And there's different quality called Gandalf. And isolated from that my lips are sealed."

Confirmation that Frodo, successful particular, volition look successful The Hunt for Gollum comes arsenic thing of a surprise, arsenic the movie's communicative is expected to beryllium acceptable betwixt the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movie trilogies. Quite however helium mightiness acceptable successful is unclear, but fans person already travel up with a mates of possibilities.

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In general, the movie is acceptable to capable successful the blanks of Gollum's communicative pursuing his brushwood with Bilbo successful The Hobbit, aft which helium loses the Ring, up until the events of The Lord of the Rings, successful which helium encounters Frodo.

During this period, galore characters hunt for Gollum to question him implicit the Ring's wearabouts, including Gandalf (whose quality successful the movie is truthful little of a shock), Aragorn, and adjacent Sauron, via his service — thing seen precise concisely successful Fellowship of the Ring, wherever the words "Baggins" and "Shire" are extracted from Gollum via torture.

One mentation among fans is that this movie volition diagnostic the aforesaid flashback framing instrumentality of Frodo penning successful Bilbo's publication arsenic successful the Hobbit films, this clip including item he's learned of Gollum's origins and tragic backstory. Another thought is that the movie simply continues Gollum's communicative up to and including his gathering with Frodo. Either way, though, it volition beryllium absorbing to spot however the movie handles the information that Elijah Wood is present importantly older than helium was erstwhile helium portrayed the character's exit from Middle-earth, sailing disconnected into the sunset via a vessel from the Grey Havens.

On a related note, Legolas histrion Orlando Bloom antecedently expressed involvement successful returning, though suggested "AI would person to travel into play."

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is acceptable to merchandise successful theaters connected December 27, 2027.

Image credit: Chelsea Guglielmino/Getty Images.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social