The idea of a new Lord of the Rings film would be intriguing in theory — if there was enough material to warrant a return to Middle-earth, that is. Aside from J.R.R. Tolkien’s appendices and glossaries, however, every story worth telling has already been told. That gives The Hunt for Gollum, the upcoming set between Peter Jackson’s Hobbit prequels and his Lord of the Rings trilogy, a unique challenge. What more is there to say about Andy Serkis’ Gollum, short of the offhand details Tolkien provided through footnotes and light exposition? Why do we need a Gollum-focused film all these years later, and how would that even work?
Jackson, who returns to the franchise as a producer, has been considering all these questions as The Hunt for Gollum gets underway. Speaking to IndieWire at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the filmmaker offered some insight into the scope of the film. “The Lord of the Rings has got these big appendices at the end,” he explained, “and part of The Hunt for Gollum is described in that. Gollum’s childhood and how he became what he was. He is trying to get to the Shire, and the Rangers are tracking him down. He ends up being captured and taken to Mordor — it’s all in the appendices.”
