Peter Jackson’s Unmade “Film 3.5” for Lord of the Rings Mirrors The Hunt for Gollum

The upcoming spin-off, The Hunt for Gollum, is set to draw inspiration from It: Welcome to Derry, adapting elements from the appendices of J.R.R. Tolkien’s legendary work. Interestingly, director Peter Jackson had the idea to explore these unseen subplots nearly 25 years ago.

With over a year until we see Andy Serkis return as Sméagol, fans have unearthed Jackson’s commentary from The Fellowship of the Ring’s Extended Edition DVD. In it, he and writer Philippa Boyens discuss their vision for a “film we’ll never make.”

“There’s fantastic material in the book that we just couldn’t fit into the movie. I’ve always loved the part where Gandalf leaves Baggins to team up with Aragorn, and they go on a quest to hunt down Gollum,” he shares. “We have a small glimpse of Gollum being tortured, but we could never include the sequence where Aragorn and Gandalf track him down. It’s a cool concept, and it would have been great to incorporate it somehow.”

Later, they touch on the reunion scene between Legolas, played by Orlando Bloom, and Aragorn, portrayed by Viggo Mortensen, noting their connection through the Gollum storyline. Clips of this discussion were shared by a podcast dedicated to The Lord of the Rings.

Boyens also highlighted other intriguing side quests from the source material that could make for exciting cinematic experiences, such as “Saruman’s search for the ring.” Perhaps one day, that story will be brought to life as well.

The Hunt for Gollum, featuring Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood alongside Serkis, is scheduled for release on December 17, 2027. The studio has confirmed that Aragorn will be recast to align with the prequel timeline.

“It’s a phenomenal challenge, exciting and, of course, terrifying at the same time,” Serkis, who will be directing, previously stated. “We have a very specific task ahead of us: to return to Middle-earth in a way that honors the passion and love that generations of Lord of the Rings fans have for these stories, while also offering something completely fresh and new for newcomers, with one of Tolkien’s richest and most complex characters at its core.”