A new Lord of the Rings film is currently in pre-production, called The Hunt for Gollum, with a targeted December 2027 release date. Andy Serkis not only returns as Gollum, but he’ll direct the film as well. From all reports, the story takes place during the nebulous time period after Bilbo’s birthday in The Fellowship of the Ring, but before the Fellowship forms. Reports are swirling about many actors returning to their iconic roles, including Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins. Although Wood didn’t confirm his return, he recently told The Sunday Times (via Variety) what he thinks of anyone else taking on his iconic role:
I certainly wouldn’t want anybody else to play Frodo as long as I’m alive and able.
Elijah Wood has recently made other comments about his potential return as Frodo. And they all seem to point to his comeback to the Shire. Wood mentioned that last August, Ian [McKellen] sort of let the cat out of the bag. He said, “There is a good chance. I’m not able to officially say anything until it’s announced. I’m thrilled with the prospect of another film.” We can only hope that if Frodo returns, Merry, Pippin, and Samwise appear as well. We’ve got to have all our main Hobbits together, right?
It’s been almost fifteen years since Wood last played Frodo, in a cameo in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. But even though he looks Frodo-ish still, will they use digital trickery to make him look like his younger self? Almost certainly. One character that won’t need any digital trickery to make them look different is Aragorn. Unlike Elijah Wood, actor Viggo Mortensen reportedly considers himself aged out of the role. Serkris will likely replace him with a younger actor. But as Aragorn likely has a bigger role than Frodo in this film, that decision makes sense. We’re mostly just excited to visit those Middle-Earth landscapes again on the big screen.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum has a tentative release date of December 2027.