Elijah Wood Teases More ‘Lord of the Rings’ Movies in the Future
Elijah Wood is still playing coy when it comes to details about his role in the upcoming Lord of the Rings live-action spinoff movie, The Hunt for Gollum. He’s being less cagey about the future of the franchise at large.Speaking during a panel at Fan Expo New Orleans this past weekend, the actor revealed additional movies set in the world of Lord of the Rings are being considered for development following the release of The Hunt for Gollum.“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,” Wood teased about the future of the beloved high-fantasy franchise on the big screen.READ MORE: The Best Movie in Every Genre on LetterboxdThe Faculty star also addressed a recent statement made by Gandalf actor Ian McKellen that both his wizard and the young hobbit will appear in The Hunt for Gollum, joking that while he could neither confirm nor deny the news, wizards are typically quite trustworthy.“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. I’m really excited about the film. I think it really is a creative ‘getting the band back together,’” Wood said during the panel.“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 [Gollum] that we all love so much. And I'm just really excited,” the actor continued, adding how excited he is for actor-director Andy Serkis, who famously plays Gollum in the series, to direct the upcoming spinoff.“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,” Wood shared.Is Elijah Wood Playing Frodo in The Hunt for Gollum?Elijah Woods played hobbit Frodo Baggins in the Peter Jackson-directed films The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King in 2001, 2002, and 2003 respectively.The last time he appeared as Frodo on screen was in 2012’s The Lord of the Rings series prequel The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel of the same name.While neither Wood nor production has confirmed Wood’s involvement in the upcoming film The Hunt for Gollum, the actor is widely expected to reprise his role alongside McKellen’s Gandalf.The film, which takes place during early segments of The Fellowship of the Ring, follows Aragorn, Ranger of the North, as he’s sent to track down Gollum. It’s unclear if Viggo Mortensen will reprise his role as Aragorn, though reports online suggest production plans to cast someone new for the role. Meanwhile, Orlando Bloom has expressed interest in returning to play Legolas.The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is scheduled for theatrical release on December 17, 2027.If Netflix successfully finalizes its deal with Warner Bros., these huge entertainment brands would all fall under the streaming giant’s control.
