First Set Images From ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’ Take Fans Back to the Shire
Middle-earth fans have waited years to find out what it would actually look like to return to the world Peter Jackson built more than two decades ago, and that wait just got significantly shorter. With production now well underway in New Zealand, the veil around one of Warner Bros.’ most anticipated fantasy projects has finally started to lift, giving fans their first genuine look at what’s been happening behind the scenes.
That project is ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum,’ and the newly surfaced images show something fans have been dreaming about since the film was first announced: a return to the Shire itself. The photos depict fresh-faced Hobbits on location, along with what appears to be Frodo Baggins entering Bag End, the iconic round green door instantly recognizable to anyone who grew up with the original trilogy.
Directed by Andy Serkis, who is also reprising his motion-capture role as Gollum and Sméagol, ‘The Hunt for Gollum’ is set to take place before and during the events of ‘The Fellowship of the Ring,’ following Gandalf as he sends Strider on a dangerous mission to track down Gollum before Sauron’s forces can learn the location of the One Ring from him. The story draws heavily from material developed in Tolkien’s appendices, filling in a period of Middle-earth history that was only briefly touched on in the original films.
🚨 BREAKING 🚨
— The Mellon Heads – LOTR Podcast (@mellon_heads) September 23, 2026
First official set images from The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum
We are officially back in the Shire as Andy Serkis directs with fresh faced Hobbits and what appears to be Frodo entering into Bag End pic.twitter.com/jPqk7OzMdc
Serkis isn’t the only familiar face returning for the project. Elijah Wood is reprising his role as Frodo Baggins, while Ian McKellen is back as Gandalf, marking a significant reunion for longtime fans of the trilogy. The film also features a mix of newcomers to the franchise, including Kate Winslet, Jamie Dornan, Leo Woodall, Lee Pace, and Anya Taylor-Joy, rounding out a cast built to carry the story into new territory while still honoring its roots.
More images pic.twitter.com/D8hMGg0UR3
— The Mellon Heads – LOTR Podcast (@mellon_heads) September 23, 2026
Notably, Dornan steps into the role of Strider, following Viggo Mortensen’s decision not to return for the project. Behind the camera, Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens are all back as producers, the same creative team responsible for shepherding both the original ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’ trilogies to the screen, lending the new film a strong sense of continuity even as it charts unfamiliar narrative ground.
Final 2 pic.twitter.com/A0lbJscM10
— The Mellon Heads – LOTR Podcast (@mellon_heads) September 23, 2026
Serkis has been candid about how much motion-capture technology has evolved since he first brought Gollum to life more than twenty years ago. Reflecting on the character’s return, he explained that the earlier films were largely limited to interior sets and pure motion capture, but that the technology has advanced considerably since then, in comments given to Deadline. That evolution, partly shaped by his work across the ‘Planet of the Apes’ franchise, is expected to give this new performance a level of nuance the earlier trilogy simply couldn’t achieve.
First peek at Frodo in ‘THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM’.
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 23, 2026
In theaters on December 17, 2027. pic.twitter.com/qWY534ZaK5
Beyond the performance capture, the production is also reportedly using de-aging technology to help bring some of the returning characters, including a younger version of Frodo, back to the screen in a way that matches the film’s earlier timeline. Filming is currently taking place across New Zealand and is expected to run from July through October, with Warner Bros. Pictures targeting a theatrical release on December 17, 2027.
With production now in full swing and the first genuine glimpses of the Shire finally reaching fans, anticipation for ‘The Hunt for Gollum’ is only likely to grow in the months ahead. Between a blend of returning icons and exciting new additions to the cast, the film has quietly built one of the more intriguing rosters in recent franchise history.
What are you most excited to see in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum?
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