Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum (2026)

[Wor-Gar]

it's it's pretty shocking to hear what he (and the cast/crew) went through during the production of The Hobbit

What?

 

[chrisstbh]

Yea, I just got done watching the series "Icons Unearthed: The Lord of the Rings," it's it's pretty shocking to hear what he (and the cast/crew) went through during the production of The Hobbit

 

[MeatHookGekko]

Yeah but this time it'll be different

Maybe it won't be so bad if it's not....

What I mean is, with two major films, there may be opportunity to cover some things that were not filmed nor shown in the original trilogy. Tom Bombadil. Scouring Of The Shire. The other rangers besides Aragorn. Etc, etc. Once you have the opportunity, maybe Jackson can release the trilogy again with the added scenes/storylines, etc. That could potentially go very bad, or very good. ( I suspect that's a direction where this will go, to turn two films into a pathway to create expanded expanded versions of the other six films)

Also, this is good for local movie theaters. You need a decent consistent slate of tentpole films to help support the local movie theaters because many of them are hurting pretty badly with the current economy/pandemic/post pandemic, etc, etc.

We also might get some cool toys out of it. I have a soft spot in my heart for the Hobbit films. There are rough spots but I enjoyed them. Be interesting to see how this turns out.

 

[Gipetto0812]

What?

The short time constraints they gave him and therefore the crew to produce these massive movies. The ultimatum/threat that if he didn't direct, they would get someone else AND they wouldn't film in New Zealand, but instead a studio backlot.

He initially signed on for just 1 movie, then they expanded it to 2 and then right before the first one released, the studio decided to make it into a trilogy to get more money. The studio had to share profits for the first movie with all the other studios/production companies that had a hand in the rights to The Hobbit, but they were for only one movie. So WB wanted to get their share and then some, therefore expanded first to two movies so they would get all the profits from the second, but then wanted more money and expanded to 3 movies. So, the first movie had to be re-edited right before release to end differently than originally intended.

No one was ever ready when the cast arrived to shoot their scenes b/c things were constantly changing whether that was from Peter or the studio. Sometimes the cast would show up and they would just decide not to shoot them that day and instead do something else. From what I remember, they said the main Hobbits had no stunt doubles (only body doubles for certain scenes) which was challenging for some of the older cast members when it came to doing stunts.

After the success of the Hunger Games, the studio wanted their own bow and arrow beauty which is why Tauriel was created. Had nothing to do with Peter apparently.

Lots of other stuff that I'm not remembering. It's a great little documentary though if you can catch it. It was on the channel Vice. They have other ones in the series as well for Batman, Star Wars, James Bond and even The Fast and the Furious

 

[Mondragon]

I'm still waiting for them to release The Hobbit: The CONDENSED Edition. Elements from all three condensed to just one film, with everything overwrought not in the book, edited out!

Now they want to stretch LOTR further?
After the bloated, self-indulgent mess the Hobbit was, this just sounds like another horrible idea.

 

[pixletwin]

I'm still waiting for them to release THE HOBBIT: THE CONDENSED EDITION. With elements from all three condensed to just one single film, with everything not in the book, edited out.

After the bloated, self-indulgent mess that was, this sounds like another horrible idea.

It already exists. It's called The Cardinal Cut and it is excellent.

 

[choombaz]

From the director of Venom: Let There Be Carnage …

 

[RandomHero]

I'm willing to give this a shot solely because Serkis is attached to it as the director. I'm very hopeful he'll keep Jackson and his need for CGI in check. I remember Viggo lamenting that there was too much CGI in Return of the King - I wonder how he felt about The Hobbit films.

This is very obviously going to be the story of Aragorn and Gandalf hunting Gollum in Gandalf's years away from the Shire, after he gives Frodo the Ring. Viggo is too old come back as Aragorn now, and I would imagine Ian might not be up for the Gandalf role again. Those are going to be incredibly hard roles to re-cast, if they don't get it right, the movie is going to be dead in the water before it opens.

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau feels like an easy choice to play Aragorn because he does look a bit like Viggo, but I doubt anyone wants to see Jamie Lannister in that role.

 

[Sassafras]

Yea, I just got done watching the series "Icons Unearthed: The Lord of the Rings," it's it's pretty shocking to hear what he (and the cast/crew) went through during the production of The Hobbit

Luv the Hobbit movies and just ignore what I don't like; like Legolas and the bat thing.

There's plenty about LOTR I find questionable (also am a fan of LOTR) including the Arwen overload and the green scrubbing bubbles - and wouldn't mind a more book-accurate, well done version (like, with Glorfindel and more Faramir and Eowyn)

Don't know all the LOTR production history but do know Warner Brothers seemed to be kinda tight about the budget for the Hobbit. Still remember the outrage when WB released that "ultimate" Middle Earth collector edition with the pretty packaging for ~800$ or something like that. (But u got a little wooden stand to go with). No new scenes, commentaries, and some sort of fake leather holders.

WB would also re-use "PR" images and bad Photoshop; and pulled stunts like for the BOFA premiere they didn't invite all the dwarves (cheap, cheap).

The fact that Jackson managed to pull off so many great locations in the Hobbit (like Laketown and Mirkwood), had great actors and costumes, and one amazing dragon is a miracle. Of course, we all know money isn't everything (Rings of Power).

TBH tho how much of story can they make out of this. Far as I recall Gandalf and Aragorn searched for, and eventually caught Gollum. I'd rather see Thranduil and Dain and the conflicts in the North that were going on at the same time as LOTR. Don't know why those don't get more attention, even if some good writers have to fill in what Tolkien didn't detail.

 

[Mondragon]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunt_for_Gollum#:~:text=The film is set in,a quest to find Gollum.

How to pull off a no budget CGI Gollum, stick him in a sack

 

[Landry]

Luv the Hobbit movies and just ignore what I don't like; like Legolas and the bat thing.

There's plenty about LOTR I find questionable (also am a fan of LOTR) including the Arwen overload and the green scrubbing bubbles - and wouldn't mind a more book-accurate, well done version (like, with Glorfindel and more Faramir and Eowyn)

Don't know all the LOTR production history but do know Warner Brothers seemed to be kinda tight about the budget for the Hobbit. Still remember the outrage when WB released that "ultimate" Middle Earth collector edition with the pretty packaging for ~800$ or something like that. (But u got a little wooden stand to go with). No new scenes, commentaries, and some sort of fake leather holders.

WB would also re-use "PR" images and bad Photoshop; and pulled stunts like for the BOFA premiere they didn't invite all the dwarves (cheap, cheap).

The fact that Jackson managed to pull off so many great locations in the Hobbit (like Laketown and Mirkwood), had great actors and costumes, and one amazing dragon is a miracle. Of course, we all know money isn't everything (Rings of Power).

TBH tho how much of story can they make out of this. Far as I recall Gandalf and Aragorn searched for, and eventually caught Gollum. I'd rather see Thranduil and Dain and the conflicts in the North that were going on at the same time as LOTR. Don't know why those don't get more attention, even if some good writers have to fill in what Tolkien didn't detail.

I wouldn't really have minded Arwen, had they not stripped Frodo of one of his character defining moments (turning to face the combined might of the Nazgul) at the river so they could give that bit to her. Watching her cry over Frodo, when we don't even know who she is or why she should care about one hobbit... and losing Frodo's inner strength... it was so weird a choice.

In general, those movies did Frodo a huge disservice in favor of trying to bolster other characters.

Beautifully filmed though.

 

[Mr.E]

I can't see Viggo coming back at this point. The lost adventures and the Hunt for Gollum story would have been a great spinoff too, but I honestly think Mortensen has the integrity to pass on this. He already outright stated that Jackson got carried away with special effects on the original trilogy, and that was years ago.


Leave well enough alone. ****.

 

[Wor-Gar]

All new cast.

In a tragically small adventure.

The Hunt for Gollum.

You know the beginning...

You know the ending...

Now live the boring middle... in color!

 

[ironwez20]

I understand Gollum was very popular in the early 2000s and everyone knows him and his story is interesting but we really need to move away from that character. He works as depressing look into the effects of the ring and what it could do to Frodo. He’s basically a drug addict. They really been focusing on putting him in as the main in lotr media or literally msking him the main character like in that terrible game lol

 

[DiFabio]

How about we forget about this silliness and release the unused footage from Fellowship/Towers/King instead?

Jackson worked on the latest Beatles Documentary, completely remastering the footage from the 60s/70s, could do the same thing for LOTR.



I wanna see Sauron lift Gilgalad by the throat and set him on fire. I wanna see the Fellowship run from the Moria orcs to Lothlorien. I wanna see Arwen at Helms Deep. I wanna see Aragorn fighting Sauron.

 

[Mandible]

The only "good" news in this is that they're not going to remake (utterly destroy) the original three. It's "untold" stories.

Personally, I could give two flying ***** about it - there's too higher probability it will be utter ****.

Happy to pull my head in if they do something great though.

 

[Felinx]

Crosshairs shift from Willow to Middle-Gender Earth.

Female leads, all-POC heroes, body diverse LGBT hobbit "community".... Prrrecious!

 

[newapelles]

How about we forgetting about this silliness and release the unused footage from Fellowship/Towers/King instead?

Jackson worked on the latest Beatles Documentary, completely remastering the footage from the 60s/70s, could do the same thing for LOTR.



I wanna see Sauron lift Gilgalad by the throat and set him on fire. I wanna see the Fellowship run from the Moria orcs to Lothlorien. I wanna see Arwen at Helms Deep. I wanna see Aragorn fighting Sauron.

I agree! Jackson needs to do an Extended Extended Cut of the trilogy for the 25th anniversary of FOTR. I wouldn't want Arwen at Helm's Deep (I like the fact that Aragorn doesn't see her until his coronation), but all those other scenes should definitely be added. Especially Sauron burning Gil-galad! Always wanted to see that. I wonder if any effects were done for that scene before it was cut? It's probably just raw footage.

 

[DiFabio]

I agree! Jackson needs to do an Extended Extended Cut of the trilogy for the 25th anniversary of FOTR. I wouldn't want Arwen at Helm's Deep (I like the fact that Aragorn doesn't see her until his coronation), but all those other scenes should definitely be added. Especially Sauron burning Gil-galad! Always wanted to see that. I wonder if any effects were done for that scene before it was cut? It's probably just raw footage.

Definitely filmed. The fx might have been done, the reason it got cut was because A. the original prologue was too long, focusing on characters and exposition not necessary to the story and B. It was too violent. He picks him up by the head and sets him on fire. Another cut scene showed Sauron stabbing his palm with a dagger, drawing blood and mixing it with the gold. This was also definitely filmed.

They’re sitting on so much footage.

 

[abake]

All in all, sounds like a terrible idea.