What "The Hunt For Gollum" Actually Means In Lord Of The Rings' New Movie Title (2024)

A new film in The Lord of the Rings series has been announced, with the title The Hunt for Gollum, raising questions about its meaning. Since the end of The Hobbit trilogy, the only live-action media audiences have gotten based on J.R.R. Tolkien's legendary fantasy series has been Prime Video's The Rings of Power. An animated film, The War of the Rohirrim, is also set to release in 2024. In May 2024, Warner Bros. announced the beginning of a new slate of Lord of the Rings movies (via Variety).

The Hunt for Gollum is expected to be released in 2026, and promising talent behind the scenes indicates it could be a success. Peter Jackson, who directed the beloved Lord of the Rings trilogy, will produce the film and "will be involved every step of the way." Excitedly, Andy Serkis, whose iconic portrayal of Gollum in the original movie series revolutionized the use of motion capture technology in film, will lead the project as its director. Serkis will also reprise the role of the titular character.

Aragorn, Gandalf & Sauron Were All Searching For Gollum Before Lord Of The Rings

The Hunt For Gollum Takes Places During The Events Of The Fellowship Of The Ring

Though Gollum's role in The Fellowship of the Ring is limited in appearance, he's a pivotal catalyst in kick-starting events. In Fellowship, Sauron kidnaps Gollum to extract information regarding the location of the One Ring, leading to the Nazgûl being sent to the Shire to retrieve it from Frodo. Throughout the first movie, Gandalf is revealed also to be keeping tabs on Gollum's whereabouts when in Moria. The Hunt for Gollum title refers to a period early on in the events of The Lord of the Rings, where Gandalf, Aragorn, and Sauron all sought after Gollum.

The Fellowship of the Ring novel reveals more about Gandalf and Aragorn's prior relationship. They'd been working together for some time, with Gandalf sending Aragorn to take Gollum captive. In the movie, Gandalf leaves the Shire for some time to research the One Ring, which takes decades in the books. In The Lord of the Rings chronology, The Hunt for Gollum should happen between Bilbo's birthday party and the start of Frodo's quest, though the movie could instead occur between The Hobbit and Fellowship to accommodate for Peter Jackson's timeline adjustments.

The Hunt For Gollum Will Be Told From Gollum's Own Point Of View

Gollum Will Be The Main Character, Making Gandalf And Aragorn Antagonists

The Hunt for Gollum will reportedly be from Gollum's perspective, with Serkis playing the starring role. It will be fascinating to see Gollum take center stage, as he's admired as one of the most complex figures in Peter Jackson's trilogy. The films were praised for developing Gollum as a sympathetic character, exploring his torture by the influence of the One Ring, which a new movie can expand upon. Gollum's perspective will feature beloved Lord of the Rings heroes like Aragorn and Gandalf as antagonists, establishing a compelling framing.

Sources: Variety

The Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings is a multimedia franchise consisting of several movies and a TV show released by Amazon titled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The franchise is based onJ.R.R. Tolkien's book series that began in 1954 with The Fellowship of the Ring. The Lord of the Rings saw mainstream popularity with Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.

Movie(s)

The Lord of the Rings (1978) , The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring , The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers , The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King , The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey , The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug , The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies , The Lord of The Rings: The War of The Rohirrim

Created by

J.R.R. Tolkien

Cast

Norman Bird , Anthony Daniels , Elijah Wood , Ian McKellen , Liv Tyler , Viggo Mortensen , Sean Astin , Cate Blanchett , John Rhys-Davies , Billy Boyd , Dominic Monaghan , Orlando Bloom , Christopher Lee , Hugo Weaving , Sean Bean , Ian Holm , Andy Serkis , Brad Dourif , Karl Urban , Martin Freeman , Richard Armitage , James Nesbitt , Ken Stott , Benedict Cumberbatch , Evangeline Lilly , Lee Pace , Luke Evans , Morfydd Clark , Mike Wood , Ismael Cruz Cordova , Charlie Vickers , Markella Kavenagh , Megan Richards , Sara Zwangobani , Daniel Weyman , Cynthia Addai-Robinson , Lenny Henry , Brian Cox , Shaun Dooley , Miranda Otto , Bilal Hasna , Benjamin Wainwright , Luke Pasqualino , Christopher Guard , William Squire , Michael Scholes , John Hurt

TV Show(s)

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power