'The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum' begins filming as first bts footage is released

Production has officially begun on The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, with Warner Bros. unveiling the first behind-the-scenes footage of Andy Serkis returning to Middle-earth as both the film's director and the iconic motion-capture performer behind Gollum.

The brief video offers fans their first glimpse inside production, showing Serkis on set reviewing the screenplay before stepping behind the camera as filming gets underway. The footage ends with the director teasing the return to J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy world, calling it the beginning of an exciting new journey.

Serkis reprises his role as Gollum more than two decades after first portraying the character in Peter Jackson's original The Lord of the Rings trilogy. This time, however, he is also directing the film, with Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens returning as producers and writers.

Set between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Hunt for Gollum explores the period when Gandalf learns that Gollum possesses dangerous knowledge about the One Ring and sends Aragorn to track him down before Sauron can. The story is expected to delve deeper into Gollum's fractured psyche and the creature's struggle between his Sméagol and Gollum identities.

Warner Bros. has assembled a star-studded cast for the return to Middle-earth. Alongside Serkis, the film will feature Ian McKellen reprising his role as Gandalf and Elijah Wood returning as Frodo Baggins. New additions include Jamie Dornan, Kate Winslet, Anya Taylor-Joy and Leo Woodall, while Serkis has confirmed that Viggo Mortensen will not return as Aragorn, with the role being recast.

Serkis has also addressed the film's production techniques, revealing that artificial intelligence is being used only in a limited capacity for de-ageing effects, while stressing that the project remains rooted in traditional filmmaking.

"Every shot is created in a traditional way," Serkis said, explaining that AI is simply another tool within the visual effects process rather than a replacement for performance or practical filmmaking.

The Hunt for Gollum marks the first live-action Middle-earth feature since The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies in 2014 and is intended to launch a new era of films set in Tolkien's universe under Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema.

The film is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on December 17, 2027, with the newly released production footage offering fans their first official look at the long-awaited return to Middle-earth.