Elijah Wood Is Frodo Again: '27 Years Are Gone' as The Hunt for Gollum Wraps Filming
(Illustration: USA Current Affaires)
Elijah Wood is back in the Shire. The actor has spoken for the first time about returning as Frodo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, just as director Andy Serkis confirmed the film has wrapped filming.
Wood, 45, first played Frodo in The Fellowship of the Ring in 2001, carrying the One Ring through Peter Jackson's original trilogy — and he came back for a brief return in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in 2012. Now, 25 years after he first took up the role, he is putting on the hobbit's wardrobe once more.
In a new interview with Deadline, Wood described what it felt like to step back into the character. "It was beautiful and surreal and it felt like no time had passed," he said. "Suddenly 27 years are gone and you're back in it again." For fans who grew up with the films, it is the quote of the week — a reminder of just how long Middle-earth has been part of cinema history.
Filming Wraps in New Zealand
Serkis confirmed on Wednesday, November 11, that principal photography on The Hunt for Gollum has been completed. The film entered production in New Zealand in July, and Warner Bros. Pictures will release it in theatres worldwide on December 17, 2027 — the holiday window that worked so well for Jackson's earlier films.
Serkis is pulling double duty, directing the film while returning to play Gollum, the role that made him famous. He is joined by Ian McKellen, back as Gandalf, and Lee Pace, reprising his role as Thranduil. Jamie Dornan will take over the role of Aragorn from Viggo Mortensen, who is not returning, while newcomers to the saga include Kate Winslet, Anya Taylor-Joy and Leo Woodall.
The story is set in the years between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and follows Strider — Aragorn — as he searches for Gollum to find out what he knows about the One Ring. Wood has previously said his own part in the film is relatively small, describing the production as a family reunion with the creative team who made the original films. Even so, his return as Frodo is the detail fans have been waiting to hear confirmed.
The December 2027 release date puts The Hunt for Gollum back in the holiday slot that made the original trilogy a box-office phenomenon, with Warner Bros. betting that audiences are ready to return to Middle-earth. The film is the first of two new Lord of the Rings features in the works, with producer Peter Jackson also teasing a follow-up, The Shadow of the Past, which is currently in the scriptwriting stage. For now, though, all eyes are on Gollum — and on the hobbit who once carried his Ring.
A Reunion 25 Years in the Making
Wood's return was first let slip by McKellen himself, who mentioned their involvement at a fan event back in August 2025. Wood stayed coy for months afterwards — telling ScreenRant in January that he was "really excited" about the project, and dodging the question on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert in March — before finally opening up now that filming is done. A first look published by Entertainment Weekly showed Frodo back at Bag End in the Shire, with the caption: "Autumn has come to the Shire… join us as the seasons change."
Jackson is producing the film with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, from a screenplay by Walsh, Boyens, Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou. With the cameras now stopped and the release date set, the long walk back to Middle-earth is officially underway.
Are you ready to return to Middle-earth — and which returning character are you most excited to see? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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