‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’ Begins Visually Stunning Production in New Zealand

We’re bringing you an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Andy Serkis, director and star of the upcoming The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum film.

Production has officially kicked off in New Zealand for The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. Andy Serkis returns not only as the character Gollum, but this time we get to enjoy his directorial skills as he helms the film. If you’re wondering how this film fits into the previous Lord of the Rings trilogies we’ve seen over the last two decades, this new series of events will be taking place smack in the middle of The Fellowship of the Ring.

New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures have shared a Day One look at Andy Serkis heading onto the mo-cap stage, fully suited up, then giving us his iconic vocal portrayal of Gollum as he says “And, action!” Take a look at the full clip below, which also showcases a sweeping landscape view of one of the filming locations:

In addition to Serkis, the cast currently includes Kate Winslet, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Leo Woodall, along with the return of Elijah Wood, Lee Pace, and Ian McKellen. While an official film plot has yet to be confirmed, if the story adheres to the works of author J.R.R. Tolkien, we may be seeing Aragorn’s early journey to keep Gollum from locating the Ring, taking place sometime between the events of The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring.

Produced by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens, we’ll be returning to Middle Earth in this highly-anticipated major motion picture on December 17, 2027.