New Lord of the Rings Movie Confirms Surprising Connection to Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker

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Peter Jackson, the director of The Lord of the Rings, recently shared some exciting news about what’s next for the franchise. While speaking at the Cannes Film Festival after receiving an honorary Palm d’Or, he hinted that adaptations of The Silmarillion could be on the way, but revealed the immediate focus will be on a new Lord of the Rings movie with some unexpected influences.

While rooted in the established world of The Lord of the Rings – specifically drawing from the writings in the appendices of J.R.R. Tolkien’s original trilogy – the movie The Hunt for Gollum also took inspiration from a surprising source: the 2019 film Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix.

How Joker Inspired The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum

Jackson explained to IndieWire that they were inspired by the Joaquin Phoenix film Joker, particularly how it delved into the character’s mind while telling a compelling story. They plan to adapt a story found in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, but will tell it through Gollum’s own thoughts and feelings.

Jackson explained why he didn’t direct The Hunt for Gollum, saying that adapting Tolkien’s work requires truly understanding his vision. He added, ‘To do that, you need to get inside the mind of the characters, and frankly, I didn’t want to explore Gollum’s thoughts – Andy Serkis is much better suited for that!’

Serkis has certainly gotten into Gollum’s head before. .

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum Will Get Inside Sméagol’s Head

Okay, so this new film is rooted in the extra details J.R.R. Tolkien added to his books, specifically what happened after Bilbo Baggins’ big birthday bash. But it’s not just another quest, folks. This movie really gets inside the head of Gollum – or, as we’ll discover, the creature who used to be Sméagol. We’re going to learn a lot more about where he came from and how he became… well, Gollum. It promises to be a surprisingly deep dive into his backstory.

The story is both an exciting adventure and a deep exploration of the characters’ inner lives, explained co-writer Philippa Boyens. She recalled being amazed by Andy Serkis’ physical fitness during motion capture, saying she jokingly asked him to start portraying an older version of the character while he was easily climbing the set’s structure.

Andy Serkis recently told Den of Geek he’s thrilled about the new project, and it’s more than just a return to familiar territory. He’s particularly excited about delving deeper into the character of Gollum. The production is also focusing on practical effects, using more prosthetics for the orcs and filming entirely on location. The film is designed to fit seamlessly within the established Lord of the Rings timeline, bridging the gap between The Hobbit and the original Lord of the Rings trilogies, while also visually connecting those two cinematic styles.

Andy Serkis is directing and starring in The Hunt for Gollum, once again playing Gollum. Ian McKellen will reprise his role as Gandalf, and Elijah Wood is returning as Frodo Baggins. This time, Jamie Dornan will play Strider, also known as Aragorn, taking over the role previously held by Viggo Mortensen.

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum opens in theaters on Dec. 17, 2027.

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2026-05-15 21:36