Elijah Wood has finished filming his return as Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, describing the experience as a transportive return to Middle-earth.
Director Andy Serkis has wrapped principal photography on the film, which brings back several original franchise figures alongside a slate of new cast additions. The project forms part of a cinematic expansion aimed at crafting blockbuster films from smaller pockets of J.R.R. Tolkien’s lore, with screenplays developed by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Phoebe Gittins, and Arty Papageorgiou.
Muscle Memory on Set
Speaking to Deadline while doing interviews at the final season premiere of the Showtime supernatural mystery-thriller series Yellowjackets, Wood shared his reaction to slipping back into hobbit feet and wardrobe more than two decades after filming Peter Jackson’s original trilogy in 1999 and 2000.
Wood previously starred as Frodo in 2001’s The Fellowship of the Ring, 2002’s The Two Towers, 2003’s The Return of the King, and the 2012 prequel The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
“It was beautiful and surreal, and it felt like no time had passed,” said Elijah Wood, actor.
Elijah Wood on returning as Frodo for ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt For Gollum’ pic.twitter.com/srVYx98Ud4
“It felt like stepping back into time: Looking down, having the sort of muscle memory of like, ‘I’ve seen these feet this way; I know this wardrobe. And that feeling is so wild, it’s so transportive, it’s like suddenly 27 years are gone, and you’re back in it again. So that was very lovely and special,” Wood told Comicbook.
“I think one of the things I hadn’t anticipated… this many years on, the crew is now largely younger people, and they all grew up on these films,” Wood explained to Deadline, adding that seeing Gandalf walk onto the set was an awe-inspiring moment for crew members who grew up watching those movies.
Gollum Pursues Bilbo Baggins to Reclaim His Ring
The narrative is developed largely from Tolkien’s footnotes and explores how Gollum pursued Bilbo Baggins for years after the events of The Hobbit to reclaim his magic ring. Later in the timeline, Gollum is captured and tortured by Sauron, who confirms the ring is his key to resurrection before Gollum escapes and is pursued by Gandalf and Aragorn.
Worldwide Release in 2027
Warner Bros Pictures scheduled The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum for a worldwide theatrical release on December 17, 2027.
