Ian McKellen has been told thatThe Lord of the Rings' upcoming story,The Hunt for Gollum,will be two movies. The legendary actor previously shared that he had been approached to reprise his role as Gandalf for the project directed by Andy Serkis.The Hunt for Gollumwas previously confirmedfor a 2026 release and, in addition to Serkis directing, is expected to see him reprising his role as the titular character while being hunted before the events ofThe Fellowship of the Ring.
In an interview withThis Morning,McKellen shared that he has been informed thatThe Hunt for Gollumwill be split into two movies, although he has not read a script yet and does not know any details about its production.
I’m told it’s two films. I probably shouldn’t be saying that, but I haven’t read the script, and I don’t know when it is, and I don’t even know where it’ll be filmed.
Does The Hunt For Gollum Need To Be Two Movies?
There Were Already Questions About It Being One Movie.
As thrilling as two more live-actionLord of the Ringsmoviesfeaturing McKellen as Gandalf and Serkis as Gollum are, this development raises concerns about whether there is enough story to warrant two separate installments. In a line fromThe Fellowship of the Ringbook, Aragorn shares with the Council of Rivendell that there was"little need to tell of"what he encountered while he was hunting Gollum. This line indicates thatthere may not be enough of a story to tell about the hunt for Gollum.
Compared toThe Lord of the Ringsor even the upcoming animeWar of the Rohirrimstory, the pursuit of Gollum does not seem like an important enough tale to carry its own movie, let alone two.
That concern is further amplified now that McKellen has been told that the story will take place throughout more than one movie.The Hobbitadaptations have already suffered from overextending the limited source material throughout its three films.The Hunt for Gollumdoes not have direct source material to adaptand is going to be a new story based on several details from the books, but even those notes may be needlessly overextended for two movies.
10 Lord Of The Rings Characters Ranked By Chances Of Appearing In The Hunt For Gollum
With The Hunt for Gollum coming up, there are some classic Lord of the Rings characters that could soon be making an on-screen appearance again.
Compared toThe Lord of the Ringsor even the upcoming animeWar of the Rohirrimstory,the pursuit of Gollum does not seem like an important enough tale to carry its own movie, let alone two. MoreThe Lord of the Ringsmovies should not be made simply because it is a popular intellectual property, but because there is a quality story to tell. With Peter Jackson as a producer, Serkis directing and likely starring, and McKellen back as well, hopefully, there is a truly great story to tell that merits two movies.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum
Cast
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is an upcoming fantasy adventure film that delves into the story of Gollum’s obsession with the One Ring.
