Audiences are about to return to Center-earth in an enormous manner. Andy Serkis, the person who’s performed Gollum in all of Peter Jackson’s J.R.R. Tolkien diversifications to this point, is now set to direct “The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.” Filming will start any day now, with the film going down roughly between the occasions of Jackson’s “The Hobbit” and “Lord of the Rings” trilogies. And whereas Jackson is not directing “The Hunt for Gollum,” he is nonetheless creatively concerned, having gone and in contrast the movie to one of the profitable DC Comics-based films of all time.
In an interview with IndieWire, Jackson mentioned Serkis’ “Lord of the Rings” in-betweenquel and in contrast it to 2019’s DC’s huge gamble turned $1 billion field workplace smash “Joker.” Starring Joaquin Phoenix and directed by Todd Phillips, the movie supplied an origin story for Batman’s most infamous villain. On paper, it would not appear to have a lot in widespread with a “Lord of the Rings” film, however Jackson went on to clarify how the 2 are related:
“We have been interested by the unique ‘Joker’ movie, the one with Joaquin Phoenix. The best way that explored the Joker’s psychology whereas it was telling a narrative. We have got the story that is within the appendices, and we’ll inform that story, however we’ll inform it from an inner Gollum perspective. You are taking written issues by Tolkien and filming them from a sure POV, and which means you need to get inside his head. I’ve obtained no specific want to get inside Gollum’s head [laughs]. Andy Serkis can try this himself.”
In essence, “The Hunt for Gollum” will dive into Gollum’s psychology much like the way in which that “Joker” dove into the thoughts of the Clown Prince of Crime.
The Hunt for Gollum can be a personality examine like Joker
“Joker” targeted on Arthur Fleck, a mentally disturbed and remoted particular person who goes on to grow to be the Joker … sorta. Joaquin Phoenix’s Arthur will not be the “actual” Joker, in keeping with Todd Phillips, however he is a model of the Joker. Setting that apart, Phoenix and Phillips later reunited for 2024’s “Joker: Folie a Deux.” Sadly, the “Joker” sequel misplaced a ton of cash on the field workplace, which capped off this iteration of the franchise. However that is neither right here nor there.
Particular plot particulars for the most recent “Lord of the Rings” film are largely being saved beneath wraps, nevertheless it’s recognized that “The Hunt for Gollum” will function a youthful Aragorn. Viggo Mortensen famously performed the character in Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, however Jamie Dornan (“Fifty Shades of Gray”) is assuming the position right here. In the meantime, Andy Serkis will as soon as once more play Gollum, along with directing.
Talking concerning the movie on the “Glad Unhappy Confused” podcast, Serkis said, “There’s a lot extra to be dug out of this very complicated character — essentially the most, maybe, complicated character [J.R.R.] Tolkien wrote, as a result of he saved revisiting it as effectively, proper?” He added, “This can be a very rather more intimate story and a deep dive and psychological investigation into a personality who has grow to be, , type of absorbed into public consciousness in a reasonably giant manner. So, it type of looks like there’s a actual relevance.”
Elijah Wooden and Ian McKellen can even seem in “The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum” as Frodo Baggins and Gandalf, respectively, with franchise newcomers Leo Woodall (“The White Lotus”) and Kate Winslet (“Avatar: The Means of Water”) formally co-starring as effectively. The film hits theaters on December 17, 2027.
