If you thought Warner Bros.’ newly announced Lord of the Rings movie idea, “The Hunt for Gollum,” sounded a bit like fan fiction, well, that’s because it pretty much is. There’s already a 2009 fan-made film titled “The Hunt for Gollum,” directed by Chris Bouchard, which you can check out below. The fan film, running for 39 minutes, garnered quite a bit of praise from fans when it first came out. It covers a similar storyline to what’s expected in the upcoming feature film, which is being developed by Peter Jackson along with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. They’re all set to be deeply involved in the project, with Andy Serkis returning to direct and play the role of Gollum.
The fan-made “Hunt for Gollum” takes place during the opening act of “The Fellowship of the Ring” and expands on a quest briefly mentioned in Jackson’s 2001 film. It follows Gandalf (played by Patrick O’Connor in the short) as he recruits Aragorn (Adrian Webster) to track down Gollum and learn more about Frodo’s magical ring. Aragorn faces various challenges along the way, including encounters with orcs and Ringwraiths, before Gollum is eventually captured by the Elves of Mirkwood and interrogated by Gandalf.
Warner Bros. surprised fans with the LOTR announcement during its first-quarter earnings conference call, revealing that “Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum” is currently a working title.
However, the idea of a movie centered around Gollum is raising some eyebrows among fans online. While he was a memorable character in the original trilogy, there’s concern about whether he can carry a whole movie. Some feel that Gollum worked best as a supporting character, providing a specific dynamic alongside Frodo and Sam. With the storyline suggested by the fan-made short, it’s possible that Aragorn could end up being the main focus, with Gandalf and Gollum playing supporting roles.
It’s unclear whether the fan-made film had any influence on WB’s project, but it’s likely that the success of “The Lord of the Rings: Gollum” video game, released last year, played a part in inspiring the new film.
