The Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood has said he doesn’t want anyone else playing Frodo “as long as I’m alive and able,” with his involvement with 2027 movie The Hunt for Gollum all but confirmed.
Speaking to The Times, the 45-year-old actor danced around his as-yet-unconfirmed appearance in next year’s The Hunt for Gollum, but admitted he felt similar to Ian McKellen, who recently said he couldn’t see anyone else playing Gandalf.
“It hasn’t been officially announced, but at a convention last August, Ian sort of let the cat out of the bag,” Wood said, referencing last year’s Lord of the Rings panel at London’s For the Love of Fantasy fan convention.
“So there is a good chance. I’m not able to officially say anything until it’s announced, but I will say I’m thrilled with the prospect of another film. It’s always a little nerve-racking when people talk about new movies for a world like Middle-earth. Everyone gets a little protective and hopes it retains its level of integrity, but this story is fun, thrilling. There is a genuine feeling of getting the band back together. “I’m just excited.”
Then, referencing McKellen’s feelings on playing Gandalf again, Wood said: “I certainly wouldn’t want anybody else to play Frodo either as long as I’m alive and able. And I can also recognise what fun that is going to be — when you are in the cinema and you see the hat turn around and it’s Gandalf. Because I’m also a fan, and excited to see how it all comes together.”
This isn’t the first time Wood has spoken about The Hunt for Gollum. In October last year, he said the film, set between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring, had a great script and production team behind it.
While some have debated the need for a Smeagol spinoff, especially after mixed reactions to The Hobbit movie trilogy, Wood piled praise on plans for The Hunt for Gollum, which will reunite The Lord of the Rings director and scriptwriters Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens with Gollum actor Andy Serkis, who is set to both star in and direct the film.
“I know a great deal about it,” Wood said at the time. “I’ve read it [the script]. It’s really good. There are some wonderful people involved. The thing that is so exciting is that it is really getting the creative band back together.
“The brain trust behind Lord of the Rings, Fran, Peter, Philippa, they are heavily involved,” he continued. “And then, the same production designers. It is going to be shot in New Zealand. So, it is going to carry with it such continuity with so many people who are a part of Lord of the Rings, and I am really excited about that. It feels like getting that old machine up and running again with all of the right people.”
It has now been more than 20 years since audiences first saw both characters sail off from the Grey Havens at the end of Return of the King. With Hunt for Gollum set several years prior to this, it remains to be seen whether some form of digital de-aging will be used. Indeed, Legolas actor Orlando Bloom has previously expressed interest in also returning, though suggested “AI would have to come into play.”
To date, only Serkis himself has confirmed he will appear in the film, though Aragorn actor Viggo Mortensen has said he is also open to returning. The Hunt for Gollum is due to begin filming in New Zealand next year, ahead of its release on December 17, 2027.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
