The Hunt for Gollum won’t consist of two films, but a second LOTR film is on the way, Philippa Boyens confirms

Earlier this year, seismic news came from Middle-earth: more Lord of the rings Warner Bros. films are produced by Peter Jackson and his team, and familiar faces are also expected to return to the camera. It was then quickly revealed that such an upcoming project was titled The Hunt for Gollumjust before the main events of The Fellowship of the RingThe film is directed by none other than Gollum himself: Andy Serkis. From then on, all sorts of rumors and reports spread – including the idea that The Hunt for Gollum is split into two films, which grew out of an interview with Gandalf actor Sir Ian McKellen.

But how Lord of the rings Screenwriter Philippa Boyens tells the story RichSomething got lost in the (Elvish) translation. “I can definitely tell you it’s not two films!” she says. “This was a real misunderstanding that happened because we started working conceptually on two different live-action films. The first creature The Hunt for Gollumthe second still needs to be confirmed.” Even in just one film, Boyens promises to tell a gripping story in Serkis’ feature film. “It’s a pretty intense story, set after Bilbo’s birthday party and before the mines of Moria,” she explains. “It is a specific part of an incredible, untold story, told from the perspective of this incredible creature.”

Why McKellen might have thought that The Hunt for Gollum would be a two-parter, there’s a good reason for that. “We’re experimenting with a number of ideas, but most of these ideas actually involve Gandalf,” explains Boyens. “So Gandalf would possibly return for two live action films.” Plus if anime feature The War of the Rohirrim – on which Boyens is a writer and producer – is proving to be a success this December, there could also be more animated Middle-earth stories. “We have an absolute blast of a second film that would be incredible as an anime,” she teases. “But let’s see if there’s an appetite for it.” Who’s willing to go back and forth?

To read RichThe full interview with Philippa Boyens – in conversation The War of the Rohirrim and the future of The Lord of the Rings on the big screen – in the Mickey 17 Issue, available Thursday, October 24th. Pre-order a copy online here. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim hits UK cinemas on December 13th.