The Lord of the Rings universe is bringing back two of its most beloved characters, and fans have now received the first glimpses of their return.
New images from Andy Serkis’ upcoming film The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum have been released, showing Elijah Wood returning as Frodo Baggins. In one of the pictures, Frodo can be seen approaching the door of Bilbo’s home in the Shire.
The images were published on Instagram as filming continues. The post invited fans to follow the changing seasons in the Shire, immediately creating a wave of nostalgia for the original trilogy.
The new pictures also show director Andy Serkis on set, along with several young Hobbits and large pumpkins. Serkis has a double role in the project: he is directing the film and once again playing Gollum, the character he famously portrayed in the earlier movies.
Wood’s return as Frodo had already been confirmed earlier this year, but fans had been speculating about it for much longer. Those rumors became even stronger after Ian McKellen revealed last year that both Frodo and Gandalf would appear in the new story.
McKellen is returning as Gandalf, and fans have now also received their first glimpse of him in full costume. A newly released video shows the 87-year-old actor as the legendary wizard for the first time in around a decade.
Wood had previously remained deliberately mysterious when asked about a possible return. At a fan event in January, he refused to confirm or deny the news, giving fans a cryptic answer about a wizard being trustworthy.
The new movie takes place between The Hobbit and Peter Jackson’s original The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The story follows Aragorn as he searches for Gollum, with Jamie Dornan taking over the role previously played by Viggo Mortensen.
According to Serkis, Mortensen is happy with the casting choice. The new cast also includes major names such as Kate Winslet, Lee Pace and Anya Taylor-Joy.
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Elijah Wood originally became internationally famous as Frodo in Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. The three films became enormous worldwide successes, earning nearly three billion dollars at the global box office.
The original trilogy also collected 17 Academy Awards in total. The final film, The Return of the King, won 11 Oscars by itself in 2004, including Best Picture.
The Hunt for Gollum is scheduled to arrive in American cinemas on December 17, 2027. A Norwegian release date has not yet been confirmed.
For fans of Middle-earth, however, the most important news has already arrived: Frodo and Gandalf are returning, and the first images have given audiences their first real taste of the new adventure.
