I can't believe this is the fantasy series Hollywood has gone all in on. Isn't like 75% of the Middle Earth stuff just his son compiling manuscripts that were never finished?
WB. to release 'Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum' in 2026, currently in early development. Peter Jackson will produce. Andy Serkis at the helm
- Thread starter DinkyDev
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The Hunt for Gollum is a story primarily following Aragorn and some Gandalf thrown in. Gollum wouldn't be as present as people immediately think. Similar to how Sauron is "The Lord of The Rings" in the title but rarely a visible presence, more just the catalyst for the events.
Who they cast as young Aragorn will be crucial. Sir McKellen isn't getting any younger either so a suitable "young Gandalf" might be needed too.
This is where I'm at with it
I'm getting "Solo" vibes from this. An event loosely mentioned in the core movie trilogy fleshed out into something nobody was really dying to see.
The problem with LOTR as a "franchise" is that it has a pretty definitive happy ending. So your only choices are canon prequels or 4th age fan fiction. On a personal level, I always vastly prefer the tension of moving the story forward along a timeline because you don't really know what will happen.
For me, the Hobbit trilogy already explored the events of the later 3rd age that I was most interested in and it just didn't turn out very well.
Plus my secret shame is that I vastly enjoyed the half of Two Towers dealing with the Aragorn, Gandalf, the battles, etc. over the second half which was just Frodo and Sam's journey. So more Gollum isn't what I'm looking for at all here.
On rewatches I tend to fast forward through the Frodo & Sam stuff and only watch the Rohan stuffđź«Ł
This would be taking place between the two trilogies. But yea I would much rather see all that.
Actually wouldn't this be happening right in the events of FotR, after Bilbo leaves and Gandalf goes off to find out about the ring?
Please no. The only way to make something like this work is truly embrace it as much as possible as something new. As soon as you are like "yooooo these people you loved who are now like 20+ older are back and playing characters even younger than they were the first time you saw them!!" it just devolves.
Its set at the start of Fellowship. When Bilbo gets the ring in The Hobbit, he lies to everyone about getting it, and what it does, including Gandalf. Bilbo does eventually tell Gandalf about how he got the ring, but neither of them know that its the "one ring" at this point. Then at the start of Fellowship, after Bilbo's party, Gandalf gets suspicious about the ring and its true nature, so he gets Aragorn to help him track down Gollum.
Its also important to note that in the books there is a 19 year gap between the party at the start of Fellowship and when Frodo and friends leave the shire.
While it was an incredible performance by Serkis, Gollum as a character isn't really all that interesting outside LoTR.
Not like I care about this franchise that much outside of the Jackson LoTR films, but surely there is way more material to use for a new movie than Gollum.
Not like I care about this franchise that much outside of the Jackson LoTR films, but surely there is way more material to use for a new movie than Gollum.
I could've sworn that it came from a Onion-esque site, how is that a real press release
PJ makes great movies.
I'm in. Day 1.
Even the rushed Hobbit movies were great IMO. Haters gonna hate. I loved them.
I'm in. Day 1.
Even the rushed Hobbit movies were great IMO. Haters gonna hate. I loved them.
Orlando Bloom putting his wig on in the mirror as a single tear falls down his face
"One more time into the breach"
"One more time into the breach"
War of the Rohirrim actually sounds interesting, as an animated movie written by Philippa Boyens, about the most interesting people in the story.
This needs a ton of work to be worth anything.
This needs a ton of work to be worth anything.
*on the global zoom pitch meeting where many voices are talking over each other Peter quickly speaks up loudly and says:*
I WILL MAKE IT!!!
*everyone quiets down*
I will produce it…
…Though I have not a script.
this one is a very interesting period in the third age that's not covered. they can do a lot of fun in the story, especially since Aragorn enters Moria alone in the past and refuses to elaborate.
how dare you be reasonable, let people have their knee jerk reactions.
how dare you be reasonable, let people have their knee jerk reactions.
Couple of notes for Mr. Serkis:
compared to previous works, in this new film, Gollum should be louder and angrier.
Also, any time that Gollum is not on-screen, all of the other characters should be asking "Where's Gollum?"
Best of luck.
compared to previous works, in this new film, Gollum should be louder and angrier.
Also, any time that Gollum is not on-screen, all of the other characters should be asking "Where's Gollum?"
Best of luck.
The only thing interesting about Gollum as a character is his journey into Mordor with Frodo and Sam, wavering back and forth between the hint of a redemption and his natural instinct towards betrayal. Jackson already captured that, extensively, in LOTR.
Outside of that Gollum is just a plot device. He exists to show that Bilbo isn't helpless on his own, and to get him the ring. If that's how they'll use him in this film, then fine. Gollum essentially as a MacGuffin could work. I just hope they don't try to make him too central to the story, there's just nothing there.
Outside of that Gollum is just a plot device. He exists to show that Bilbo isn't helpless on his own, and to get him the ring. If that's how they'll use him in this film, then fine. Gollum essentially as a MacGuffin could work. I just hope they don't try to make him too central to the story, there's just nothing there.
I read the silmarillion every year and I literally could not care any less for this movie. There's troves of interesting material that they probably can't get their hands on to film, so they chose this.
Ah so more of an Aragorn movie? Wouldn't surprise me if they change the title before release to reflect that
Agreed
I hate to say it but I am actively hoping this does poorly.
I hope all the workers involved get paid and all that, but this trend of completely extracting every last creative drop out of a property with diminishing returns needs to end and the only way that will happen is sustained failure.
So many great fantasy novels Hollywood could adapt instead of milking properties with uninspired products
I thought we retired these kinds of posts after Andor turned out to be excellent?
iirc this was (one of) the original plan(s) for the Hobbit films under under Del Toro. You'd have the story of the Hobbit, you'd then have a film focussing on Aragorn and Gandalf hunting for Gollum to lead into LOTR. Viggo Mortensen was still about not-too-old to play the role back then.
In theory it's a nice way to delve into Aragorn's past and set up his Kingly lineage... could keep it a fairly lean hunt movie set in Middle Earth... but after The Hobbit I can only associate this franchise with bloat rather than the B-movie-esque romp such a film would need to be.
In theory it's a nice way to delve into Aragorn's past and set up his Kingly lineage... could keep it a fairly lean hunt movie set in Middle Earth... but after The Hobbit I can only associate this franchise with bloat rather than the B-movie-esque romp such a film would need to be.
There is a lot of interesting content you could put in to it. Putting together a cohesive narrative is the bigger issue.
Return of the Witch King
Sauron's Resurgence in Mordor
Ties in to Aragorns Numenor bloodline
Post Battle of the Five Armies Dale/Erebor
Sauron's starting to search for the Ring
More on Isildur/Fall of Gondor etc
Basically all the cool stuff PJ cut from the Council of Elrond Chapter because he thought it was boring.
Wonder what poppy song they'll have a sad slow remix of for the trailer
