The Lord of the Rings: what will be Peter Jackson’s place on The Hunt for Gollum?

“I am a sort of available godfather,” replies the filmmaker, who will be executive producer of the new film in the franchise.

As Andy Serkis prepares his return to Middle Earth behind and in front of the camera with The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Golluma question remains: what exactly will be the involvement of Peter Jackson, the man who brought to the screen the cult trilogy adapted from the work of JRR Tolkien?

The New Zealand filmmaker wanted to clarify things. Contrary to what some fans might imagine, he will not be at the helm of the project. After having already accompanied other directors on productions like Mortal Engines in 2018 or more recently the animated film The Rohirrim WarJackson sees himself first and foremost as an executive producer and trusted advisor:

“We have producers who actually make the film. I am here as a friend, to bring a little comfort, share my experience and help everything goes well.“, he explains to IndieWire. A discreet presence therefore. Jackson assures that he has no intention of interfering in Andy Serkis’ vision:

“I don’t do anything unless I’m asked to. I never come in and say, ‘Andy, you should do this or that.’ I want to let him make his film. If Andy calls me and says, ‘Can I come over to the house for a chat?’, then we sit down and talk. I am a kind of godfather available when I am needed…“

What will we talk about The Hunt for Gollum ?

The film will draw on a relatively unknown part of Tolkien’s universe: the appendages of the Lord of the Rings. These dozens of pages added at the end of the novel are full of secondary stories, details on the characters and events only mentioned in the main story:

“We have the legal right to adapt anything from the Lord of the Rings books“, explains Peter Jackson. “The appendices contain fifty or sixty pages of Tolkien’s notes, character background, and stories that do not appear directly in the novel. Part of the story of The Hunt for Gollum is there.“

The film should thus explore Gollum’s childhood, his gradual transformation into a creature corrupted by the Ring, his attempt to join the Shire and the hunt led by the Rangers. The appendices also recount his capture before his transfer to Mordor. To tell this story, Peter Jackson and his writing partner Fran Walsh found an unexpected source of inspiration: the Joker from DC!

“We thought about the first Joker, the one with Joaquin Phoenix. The way this film explored the psychology of the character while telling his story.”

The objective will therefore not only be to show the events mentioned by Tolkien, but to experience them through the eyes of Gollum himself.

“We will tell the story present in the appendices, but from Gollum’s inside point of view. When you take what Tolkien wrote and film it from a certain angle, you have to get inside his head. Personally, I have no desire to get into Gollum’s head. HASndy Serkis can take care of it himself!”

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will be released on December 15, 2027 in cinemas in France.