Elijah Wood says putting Frodo Baggins’ costume back on for The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum felt like stepping back in time. Speaking to Deadline on the red carpet for the Yellowjackets season 4 premiere on November 12, Wood said returning to the role was “beautiful and surreal” — his first public comments since filming wrapped.
“It was beautiful. It was like no time had passed,” Wood told Deadline. “Suddenly 27 years are gone and you’re back in it again.” He said “muscle memory” took over when he returned to the Shire, and that seeing Gandalf on set awed the younger crew members. The interview came a day after director Andy Serkis confirmed that principal photography on the film had finished.
Filming wraps on the Middle-earth return
Serkis, who directs the film as well as reprising the role of Gollum, confirmed on November 11 that principal photography was complete, ahead of the film’s theatrical release on December 17, 2027. The movie is set in the years between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring, following Aragorn’s urgent effort to capture Gollum before he can reveal the Ring’s location to Sauron.
Wood first portrayed Frodo in 2001’s The Fellowship of the Ring, and he has been candid that his part this time is small. In an interview with GamesRadar earlier this year, he said: “My part to play is relatively small, but I’m just excited to go back and spend some time in New Zealand and see old friends.” Frodo works as a framing device for the story rather than a central character, much like his cameo in 2012’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
A familiar fellowship, a new Aragorn
The film brings back several faces from Peter Jackson’s trilogies: Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf and Lee Pace as the Elvenking Thranduil, while Jamie Dornan takes over the role of Aragorn from Viggo Mortensen. Wood compared the production to a reunion, explaining that many of the people who brought the first three Lord of the Rings films to life are also working on The Hunt for Gollum.
For fans, the wrap is the clearest sign yet that the long-awaited return to Middle-earth is on track. Wood will next appear in the final season of Yellowjackets, but for one night on the red carpet, all anyone wanted to talk about was the hobbit who came home. See also Rings of Power Season 3 premieres today and The Chosen Season 6 premieres Sunday.
