Considering how every major studio is trying to get as much out of their popular franchises as possible, it’s not exactly a shock that we’re set to get at least two more live-action Lord of the Rings movies, what is potentially exciting is that they look to trying to really make movies on the scale of the previous entries, and possibly with much of the same cast.
Beyond the fact that Andy Serkis, who is also directing The Lord of the RIngs: The Hunt For Gollum, will return as the title character, little has been confirmed regarding who will appear in the new movie, . However, it seems recent indications that Elijah Wood will return as Frodo appear to be accurate, as he apparently knows too much about the upcoming movie. In a recent appearance at DesertCon in Monterrey, Mexico (via Asi SoyTV), Wood says he “knows a great deal” about the films, saying…
Well, I can’t say anything about that. I know a great deal about it. I’ve read it. It’s really good. There are some wonderful people involved. The thing that is so exciting is that it is really getting the creative band back together. The brain trust behind Lord of the Rings, Fran, Peter, Philippa, they are heavily involved.
It’s a fairly reliable truism in Hollywood that you can tell when an actor is under contract to a film because when they’re not, they say they’re not, but when they are, they say they can’t say anything. That certainly appears to be the situation Elijah Wood is in here. Why would he have read the script for The Hunt for Gollum if he’s not in that script?
Wood’s statement would seem to confirm comments made by Ian McKellen recently that indicated that both Gandalf and Frodo would be appearing in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. Wood was in the room when McKellen said this, with a smile on his face, and he certainly hasn’t denied it since.
Whatever his role, Elijah Wood is quite excited by the new film. He says that it’s bringing together so many of the people involved in The Lord of the Rings that the opportunity for the new movie to be great is quite good. He continued…
And then, the same production designers. It is going to be shot in New Zealand. So, it is going to carry with it such continuity with so many people who are a part of Lord of the Rings, and I am really excited about that. It feels like getting that old machine up and running again with all of the right people.
While Gandalf’s appearance would make some sense, as it’s specifically mentioned in The Fellowship of the Ring that Gandalf tried to track down Gollum as part of confirming exactly what the One Ring was, Frodo’s appearance is a little less clear, as he didn’t do a lot during that period. Of course, Frodo might have little more than a cameo, as he did at the end of the final Hobbit movie.
Most of the Lord of the Rings actors have expressed a willingness, if not an interest, to return to the franchise if the story, or at least the money, is good. We’ll have to wait and see who else is asked back. The film is currently set to release in December 2027.