With The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum set to deliver another live-action blockbuster in 2027, questions around its cast are finally starting to be answered. After the massive success of the original trilogy of movies and the lesser success of the Hobbit trilogy and the subsequent forays into the realms of TV and animation, the Lord of the Rings franchise is set to return to its large-scale cinematic roots. The Hunt for Gollum has already confirmed the return of Ian McKellen as Gandalf, who teased at a fan event that the movie would also contain “a character named Frodo”. Elijah Wood, who famously portrayed the hobbit protagonist in the original trilogy, has now reacted to McKellen’s comments.
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Per Screen Rant, Wood was vague in his response, but still managed to give an encouraging answer to McKellen’s comments. Wood said, “I can neither confirm nor deny. Listen, a wizard is to be trusted. Aside from any of that, I’m not really allowed to confirm.” He went on to talk more generally about the movie, explaining, “I’m really excited about the film… 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.” Interestingly, he then added, “I know their intention is to make other films in this universe.”
What Elijah Wood’s Reaction Really Means For The Hunt For Gollum
Although Elijah Wood’s The Hunt for Gollum update doesn’t technically confirm his involvement, his words, particularly “a wizard is to be trusted”, heavily imply that he will feature in some capacity. Of course, the movie’s plot hints heavily at Frodo’s potential involvement, set as it is between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. However, while his appearance now seems a certainty, exactly how much Frodo will feature in the movie remains to be seen.
One of the most likely methods of having characters return for The Hunt for Gollum would be to feature their older selves in future scenes, not unlike the framing device used in the Hobbit movies, which allowed Ian Holm to briefly appear as Bilbo Baggins. It’s an organic way to tie the movies together while moving forward with a new cast, and is one of the simplest ways to include the original actors without resorting to divisive digital de-aging technology. Considering Wood’s comments about further movies, it seems likely that a recast is inevitable.
It’s hard to envision how exactly Frodo could feature in the film in a major way, as his story at the time of the movie’s setting was not directly connected to the One Ring. However, reports that audiences will once again see Frodo on the big screen are exciting, and Elijah Wood’s reaction to McKellen’s comments implies that he has implicit knowledge of the movie and the team behind it, making it seem all but certain that the original Frodo actor will play at least a small part in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.
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