Fans of the best fantasy adaptations got a very pleasant surprise when it was announced a few years ago that we’d be going back to the shire for more tales from The Lord of the Rings universe with the upcoming The Hunt for Gollum. Not only will Andy Serkis return to play the iconic ring-corrupted hobbit, but he’s also directing the movie, which will reunite fans with others from the original Oscar-winning trilogy, like Ian McKellen, who’ll reprise Gandalf. There have been rumors that Elijah Wood is returning as Frodo, but his reactions to being asked about his potential involvement are just as entertaining as his famed character.
What Did Elijah Wood Recently Say About Playing Frodo In The Hunt For Gollum?
Look, whenever fans find out that we’re getting another film in a beloved franchise after many years, not only do we collectively lose our minds, but we instantly wonder who will come back from previous films. This is exactly what’s been going on with The Hunt for Gollum since it was announced. It was last August, however, when Ian McKellen noted his involvement and gave people “two secrets about the casting,” and added that not only is he in the film, but there's “a character in the movie called Frodo,” that everyone went crazy about the return of Elijah Wood as his heroic hobbit.
There seems to be a problem, though, because since then Wood himself has been unwilling (or more likely, unable) to confirm or even deny his appearance in the new fantasy film, which is said to begin shooting sometime this year. During a recent visit to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Wood (who’s starring in Ready or Not 2: Here I Come on the 2026 movie schedule) was asked if he had “anything to add to the rumors” that he’ll be in Gollum, and after a pause he said with a smile:
Nothing to add. Nothing to subtract, either. We’re in a good spot! There we go!
Oh, boy. Talk about finding the most entertaining way to say "I can't tell you anything about that," right? Seems like McKellen certainly may have said too much when he revealed his part in Gollum. I’m sure he was just excited, as most actors would be when getting to return to a character they enjoyed playing and also having many of the original creatives around for the new movie, as well.
I’m not big on casting prognostications, but my guess is that we’ll see Wood take part in some way when the movie is finally released in late 2027, largely because the Yellowjackets actor has been answering questions like this in a similar way for months now.
Not only did he admit recently that he “certainly wouldn’t want anybody else to play Frodo” as long as he’s able, but in referencing what McKellen said he’s also noted that “a wizard is to be trusted,” which definitely sounds like a form of covert confirmation. On top of that, the actor does seem to know an awful lot about the LOTR spinoff if he’s not actually in the dang movie, so my hopes are high that we will get the chance to see him sport the shaggy hair once again.
