A major cast member from Peter Jackson’s original “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy has teased their return to the franchise. Jackson is currently developing a new live-action film set in the same fictional universe — in the form of “The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum” — and now Elijah Wood has opened up about whether he is involved in the movie.
Elijah Wood Discusses His Return to the LotR Franchise
Very little is currently known about “The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum” other than that it is being directed by Andy Serkis, will act as a prequel to the trilogy, and features Ian McKellen returning as the wizard Gandalf.
The plot will likely follow Gandalf and Aragorn in their attempts to track down Gollum and learn more about the mysterious ring he once possessed. It is expected to hit cinema screens on December 17, 2027.
Legendary actor Ian McKellen has all but confirmed that he is reprising his role as Gandalf for the movie. However, he also let slip that Frodo would make an appearance as well, leading to speculation that Wood would also be returning to Middle-earth.
“I hear there’s going to be another movie based in Middle-earth, and it’s going to start filming in May. It’s going to be directed by Gollum, and it’s all about Gollum,” McKellen shared at the For the Love of Fantasy event in London in 2024. “I’ll tell you two secrets about the casting: There’s a character in the movie called Frodo, and there’s a character in the movie called Gandalf. Apart from that, my lips are sealed!”
Now, Wood has given his own thoughts on the project and whether he will be part of the cast. Directly referencing the earlier comments made by McKellen, Wood was coy when it came to actually confirming anything but did suggest that he would be in the film.
“I can neither confirm nor deny. Listen, a wizard is to be trusted,” Wood told ScreenRant at Fan Expo New Orleans. “Aside from any of that, I’m not really allowed to confirm.”
Elijah Wood Excited to See More LotR Movies
Whether he will be part of the cast or not, Wood does have positive things to say about the revival of the film series. In the same interview, he revealed that he’s “really excited about the film” and the way it is bringing back many of the creative minds who worked on “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy.
He continued, “I think it really is a creative ‘getting the band back together.’ A lot of the creative heads of department are back and in that space again. Philippa [Boyens], I think, is co-writing it and producing it. It’s very much that core original group getting back together to tell this story that will feel like a really fun exploration of this character that we all love so much. And I’m just really excited.”
“I’m excited for Andy [Serkis] to direct it. It feels so unbelievably appropriate that he directs a film about his character that he has really made his own. I’m thrilled. It’ll be great. And I’m excited to see…. I know their intention is to make other films in this universe. And that’s exciting, interesting to see where that goes, but very exciting.”
