The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum – Production Starts with New Featurette! - Swords and more

The cameras are rolling in Middle-earth once again! Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema have celebrated the production start of "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum" with an exclusive featurette. Get all the details on Andy Serkis' return, the new actor playing Aragorn, and the plot of the upcoming fantasy epic (Release Date: December 2027).

"Action!" in Middle-earth: Filming Has Begun It is official: Production for the highly anticipated new Lord of the Rings film, "The Hunt for Gollum," has started in New Zealand as of July 2026. A newly released "Start of Production" featurette takes fans straight to the set. The video focuses on Andy Serkis, who is not only directing the film but also returning to his iconic role as Gollum. Dressed in his grey motion-capture suit, Serkis lets his inner Gollum take over on the very first day of shooting, shouting "Action!" in that unmistakable, raspy voice. The video is beautifully accompanied by sweeping drone shots of the New Zealand mountains, instantly reigniting that classic Middle-earth magic.

The Hunt Begins: What the New Film is About The story is set between Bilbo's grand birthday party and the dark events in the Mines of Moria. The plot centers on the dangerous mission of Aragorn and Gandalf: They must track down Gollum to extract crucial information about the One Ring before Sauron's dark forces can capture him.

Familiar Heroes and Fresh Faces Behind the camera, the legendary trio from the original trilogy—Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens—has returned as the producing team. In front of the camera, fans will be thrilled to see returning favorites: Ian McKellen (Gandalf the Grey), Elijah Wood (Frodo Baggins), and Lee Pace (Thranduil) are back for this adventure.

The cast is also expanding with top-tier new talent. Jamie Dornan takes on the monumental task of stepping into Viggo Mortensen's boots to portray the ranger Aragorn (Strider). The ensemble is further strengthened by Anya Taylor-Joy as the Silvan Elf Seren, Leo Woodall as the Dúnedain ranger Halvard, and Hollywood star Kate Winslet in the role of Marigol.

A New Chapter for 2027 The featurette marks the official kick-off for a new, dark chapter in the history of J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece. "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum" is scheduled to hit theaters on December 17, 2027.