The Lord of the Rings franchise, directing and starring as its main character, Gollum. Peter Jackson stepped down as director of movies in the franchise to allow Serkis to lead a movie about his own character, which will probably pay dividends. It has been announced that one cast member of the new movie will be recognizable from Jackson's previous trilogies.

There have only been two cast hinted for The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum movie, which is only a working title for now. With so little known about the movie, it is hard to tell whether it will seem like a spinoff or a continuation of Jackson's series, but the casting discussed so far paints a certain picture. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the last movie in the franchise, and a tough one to follow for the movie, but bringing in beloved characters from the legendary series is sure to help.

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Ian McKellen Will Likely Star In Hunt For Gollum

Ian McKellen's famous Gandalf may return in The Hunt for Gollum. So far, Serkis and McKellen are the only two actors who have been linked to the movie, with both key players in previous Lord of the Rings movies. McKellen spoke to Deadline, revealing, "I’ve just been told there are going to be more films and Gandalf will be involved, and they hope that I’ll be playing him." McKellen previously indicated, in good humor, that he would love to play Gandalf again "if [he's] still alive." This would make the release feel as close as a movie could come to a sequel to Return of the King.

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is expected sometime in 2026.

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Gandalf Is Key To Lord Of The Rings

For a movie to seem like a continuation of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings movies, at least a couple of their core characters would be needed. Gollum and Gandalf are as core as any, so their presence in The Hunt for Gollum signifies a true return to form for The Lord of the Rings franchise and a solid recommencement of Jackson's story. The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will most likely technically be neither a sequel nor a prequel, as the events normally described as the hunt for Gollum take place during the events of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

If the events of The Hunt for Gollum do take place during the events of the first movie in Jackson's trilogy, that would make Hunt for Gollum a parallel movie or accompaniment movie of sorts. While this could still be called a spinoff, it would lack the distance from the original releases that most spinoffs have. This would make it a much more exciting prospect than a simple spinoff would be. There is the chance that The Hunt for Gollum will focus on events of slightly before the first The Lord of the Rings movie, but whatever its plot, it will likely bring some of cinema's best characters back to screens.

Source: Deadline