Hunt for Gollum’s Ian McKellen Teases Major Change in New LOTR Movie

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Ian McKellen has suggested that the upcoming film, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, will differ from the original books. This is the first strong indication that the movie won’t closely follow J.R.R. Tolkien’s story. McKellen’s comments imply that Gandalf’s role in the search for Gollum will be presented in a new way.

Ian McKellen confirms Hunt for Gollum movie will feature a change from the books

Ian McKellen has shared that the upcoming film, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, will present a familiar story from J.R.R. Tolkien’s book in a new way.

As a huge fan of Middle-earth, I was thrilled to hear more about this new film! It takes place in the same world Peter Jackson built with The Lord of the Rings, and apparently, it’s an adventure focusing on Aragorn trying to find Gollum. Ian McKellen shared in an interview that Gandalf won’t be joining the hunt himself, but will be guiding things from a distance – basically overseeing the mission.

He couldn’t share details about the story, but explained the script is aimed at fans of The Lord of the Rings. He described it as an adventure, similar to Aragorn’s quest to find Gollum, with Gandalf providing guidance. He didn’t reveal any specific plot points, but did confirm he will be returning to play Gandalf, stating he doesn’t want anyone else in the role.

You know, this is a really interesting shift from how Tolkien originally told the story in The Fellowship of the Ring. In the book, Gandalf tells Frodo about how he and Aragorn spent ages searching for Gollum all over Middle-earth. Tolkien actually wrote that they searched ‘down the whole length of Wilderland’ with no luck, and it wasn’t until they stopped looking that Gollum was finally found. It’s a subtle detail, but it really highlights how fate plays a role in the story!

The filmmakers have chosen to give Gandalf a smaller role in the new film. This is likely due to the age of actor Ian McKellen, who was 60 during the original trilogy and will be in his late eighties when the new film starts production. This could affect how the character is presented on screen, though the studio hasn’t officially explained the change yet.

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2026-02-18 16:46