The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum‘s timeline is a curious thing. Directed by and starring Andy Serkis, the upcoming film will be canon to Peter Jackson’s original The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and likely incorporate prequel scenes revealing more of the title character’s past, perhaps even from before he lost the One Ring to Bilbo Baggins. Most of The Hunt for Gollum, however, seemingly takes place during The Fellowship of the Ring‘s hidden time skip, between Bilbo leaving the Shire and Frodo’s own departure.
That raises a sizable question mark over exactly where The Hunt for Gollum‘s story will end. Logically, one would expect Serkis’ movie to conclude with Gollum joining Frodo and Sam on their journey to Mordor, as his adventures thereafter were well-documented by The Two Towers and The Return of the King. On the other hand, there’s a perfect final scene from later in the timeline that would give The Hunt for Gollum‘s ending a mighty emotional punch.
The Hunt For Gollum Should End With The Eagles Rescuing Frodo & Sam
Rather infamously, the final battle against Sauron ends with Gandalf leading the eagles to rescue Frodo and Sam from the side of a crumbling Mount Doom. There are three eagles during this scene – Gwaihir, Meneldor, and Landroval – one carries Frodo, one grabs Sam, and the third hovers around awkwardly not quite sure what to do.
It has long been theorized that each eagle was intended for one survivor: one for Frodo, one for Sam, and the last for Gollum. This has never been explicitly confirmed, neither in J.R.R. Tolkien’s source material nor Peter Jackson’s movie adaptations, but remains a popular assumption. Gandalf already suspected Gollum had a significant role to play in bringing down Sauron, and it can be assumed that he learns about Frodo and Sam traveling with Gollum through Faramir. As the wisest and kindest of the wizards, Gandalf would never abandon even a half-dead Gollum to spend his final moments alone and in pain, so the idea that he brings an eagle in hopes of rescuing Gollum makes perfect sense.
A perfect way for The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum to end would be Gandalf declaring his intention to find Gollum alive, and bringing that third eagle accordingly. The closing scene could show Gandalf’s relief at finding the hobbits, then his sadness at seeing only two bodies on the rocks. The Hunt for Gollum could even have Gandalf constructing a makeshift grave outside the Black Gate in Gollum’s honor, or having a quiet moment of reflection – any sign of respect or acknowledgment, the kind that was missing from The Return of the King.
Ian McKellen’s Gandalf is confirmed to feature heavily in The Hunt for Gollum, while Andy Serkis (via Empire) has discussed his intention to dive deeper into the humanity of Gollum as a character. It looks inevitable that, during the course of the film, Gandalf will develop a greater understanding of why Gollum is much more than an antiques fanatic with a taste for sushi, and the wizard will be compelled to hope he’s still alive by the story’s end.
It’s Impossible That The Hunt For Gollum Can Ignore Gollum’s Death
Logic would suggest that The Hunt for Gollum must end before Gollum meets Frodo and Sam, otherwise Andy Serkis’ movie will become little more than a retread of The Lord of the Rings. At the same time, it’s impossible to tell a Gollum-centric story without including the moment he accidentally saves the entirety of Middle-earth from certain doom.
Gollum isn’t exactly redeemed in The Lord of the Rings. His big moment comes not from an onrush of clarity or seeing the error of his ways, but through fighting Frodo too close to the cracks of Mount Doom. Still, there is no doubt Gollum is a figure of tragedy. Not entirely unlike Frodo, he becomes fate’s vessel for Middle-earth’s salvation – just as Frodo can only take the One Ring to the edge of Mount Doom before succumbing to the Ring’s temptation, Gollum’s obsessive corruption pushes him, quite literally, over the edge. It’s the moment the Ring seals its own fate by corrupting someone so completely, they would happily fall to their death with the Ring in their hands.
Even without a noble sacrifice, destiny forces Gollum to suffer so that others in Middle-earth can live. And despite this, the essence of Sméagol is never fully extinguished. As the inner conflict between Gollum’s personas comes to the fore in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, it’s imperative that the film’s ending recontextualizes his death, making viewers feel more for the title character than they did while watching The Return of the King. One way to do that is by having Gandalf hope for Gollum’s survival, believing that the last vestiges of Sméagol can resurface after years of misery and hatred, then mourning the former hobbit’s untimely death.
- Release Date
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December 17, 2027
- Writers
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Arty Papageorgiou, Phoebe Gittins, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, J.R.R. Tolkien