Elijah Wood seems to have confirmed the purported plot leak for The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. After being officially announced in May 2024, the director of the new upcoming film, Andy Serkis, announced in February 2025 that the action fantasy movie would be postponed until December 2027. With the project entering the pre-production phase, there is still little to no information about the official plot details of the new story from the franchise. 

However, some leaked details have surfaced lately, and their legitimacy has just been confirmed by our own ringbearer of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Elijah Wood.  

Earlier this year, The Direct was present at Elijah Wood's presentation at Fan Expo Vancouver, where the actor who played Frodo Baggins discussed a plot leak regarding The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. In addition to confirming the veracity of the leak, he hinted at Gollum/Smeagol's part in the movie.

"I feel like just [recently], someone articulated what the premise of the film is... Like, the actual logline of the movie and in more detail. So, that's cool. It's out there in the world,” said Wood, answering the question about the upcoming prequel.

Recently, an alleged leak of The Hunt for Gollum's plot has surfaced, suggesting that the film will examine Smeagol before he turns into Gollum. According to the synopsis, the plot revolves around Gollum leaving his cave in search of the One Ring after Bilbo Baggins has found it. He confirms this while adding a bit more detail to it.

He reveals that in the film, Smeagol will be tracked by Rangers, who have been given the responsibility to find him. He further informs that Sauron will eventually get the whereabouts of the ring (which is in The Shire with Bilbo Baggins) from him after torturing him. This will ultimately tie the prequel to the main trilogy.

'Lord of The Rings' Sequel Update: Peter Jackson Praises ‘The Hunt for Gollum,’ Script, Confirms 2027 Release

Now that the plot leaks are confirmed, people have a pretty good idea what they are in for in this new adventure. However, there are more important details attached to the project that further whet everyone’s curiosity.

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, directed by Andy Serkis and set in the Middle-earth realm of J.R.R. Tolkien, will bring back Ian McKellen as Gandalf the Grey, Lee Pace as Thranduil, and Serkis as Gollum. Jamie Dornan has been chosen to play Aragorn in place of Viggo Mortensen. Leo Woodall and Kate Winslet play entirely original parts in the movie.

Naturally, Elijah Wood has also been confirmed to make an appearance in the prequel. In October 2025, the actor teased that The Hunt for Gollum would feature numerous amusing cameos, creating excitement for the film. Moreover, the movie has already locked in the release date, which is December 17, 2027.

The New ‘Lord of the Rings’ Movie, ‘The Hunt for Gollum’ Complete Cast, Plot, and Release Date

How do you think Smeagol’s journey will turn out in The Hunt for Gollum? Share your thoughts.