Legendary actor Sir Ian McKellen has given Lord of the Rings fans plenty to geek out about, hinting that Gandalf and Frodo will appear in the upcoming Middle-earth film The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. McKellen made the comment during a fan event in London, teasing that the new movie, directed by Andy Serkis and produced with the involvement of Peter Jackson’s original team, will include characters named Gandalf and Frodo alongside the titular Gollum.
At the For the Love of Fantasy event, McKellen told the audience that production is slated to begin in May and dropped a tantalizing hint: “There’s a character in the movie called Frodo, and there’s another character called Gandalf,” before closing his comments with a playful “my lips are sealed.” While he didn’t explicitly confirm that he or Elijah Wood will reprise the roles they originated, the implication delighted the crowd and sent speculation soaring among fans.
The Hunt for Gollum is set for release on December 17, 2027, and serves as a prequel story within the wider Lord of the Rings timeline. Based on events from the appendices of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels, the plot explores the period between Bilbo Baggins passing the One Ring to Frodo and Frodo’s eventual journey from the Shire. In that era, Gandalf grows increasingly concerned that Gollum may reveal the Ring’s existence to Sauron, setting up a hunt that draws in familiar faces from Middle-earth lore.
McKellen’s remarks dovetail with previous reports that The Hunt for Gollum will be produced by the original Lord of the Rings creative team, including Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens, and that Serkis will direct and star as Gollum. While casting specifics (including whether McKellen and Wood will officially return in their original roles) haven’t been confirmed by Warner Bros. or New Line Cinema, the presence of characters like Gandalf and Frodo in the script has sparked excitement and speculation across the fandom.
Whether their appearances will be central to the story or take the form of cameos remains unclear, but McKellen’s tease suggests The Hunt for Gollum will tie the new film more closely to the beloved original trilogy than some earlier spinoffs and adaptations have. For longtime enthusiasts of Tolkien’s world, the possibility of revisiting Middle-earth with such iconic figures back in play feels like a major milestone on the road back to Middle-earth cinema.
