Gandalf & Frodo Will Reunite In New Lord Of The Rings Movie, Confirms Ian McKellen

1 week ago 17

Gandalf Smoking a Pipe Next to Frodo From Lord of the Rings

Matthew Rudoy is one of ScreenRant's Movie & TV News Editors. He covers the latest in movie & TV news, with a focus on major franchises like Star Wars, The Boys, and Game of Thrones. He wrote lists for ScreenRant from 2017-2022, became a news writer in 2023, a senior staff writer in 2024, and an editor in 2025.

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A major reunion is officially happening in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. The upcoming film is directed by Andy Serkis, who will also reprise his iconic titular character. It was previously confirmed that Ian McKellen is returning to play Gandalf.

Now, McKellen shares that he will be reuniting with Frodo in the movie. He also confirmed that the movie, which is scheduled for December 17, 2027, will begin filming in May. Check out McKellen's comments below:

It's going to start filming in May. It's going to be directed by Gollum, and it's all about Gollum.

But I'll tell you two secrets about the casting. There's a character in the movie called Frodo and another character called Gandalf, and apart from that my lips are sealed.

McKellen does not say whether Elijah Wood will be the one to play Frodo, but it seems highly likely since Gollum and Gandalf are being played by the same actors who portrayed them in the previous The Lord of the Rings movies.

Wood's potential Lord of the Rings return was addressed by the actor in 2024, where he revealed that he would be open to the possibility. He stated that “It would be pretty incredible. I have to say, any return to New Zealand to work with those individuals within the context of that world would be…jumping back into a world that’s so beloved and means so much to me. So yeah, it would be awesome.”

The Hunt for Gollum's story makes a Gandalf and Frodo reunion possible because of when it is set in The Lord of the Rings timeline. It takes place after the 111th birthday of Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm) in The Fellowship of the Ring but before Frodo leaves the Shire. At this point, Gandalf and Frodo have already been longtime friends.

Frodo may not have an extensive amount of screentime, though, as the plot will focus on Gandalf and Aragorn's search for Gollum as they seek more information about the One Ring. Given Aragorn's central involvement in the story, there is a high likelihood that Viggo Mortensen will also return to play his beloved character again.

More to come...