It sounds like Andy Serkis' The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is shaping up to be more of a reunion for the cast and crew of Peter Jackson's acclaimed trilogy than we realized.
Though Serkis (Gollum) is the only actor that's been confirmed to reprise his role, it seems likely that Sir Ian McKellen (Gandalf) and Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn) will be back, and Orlando Bloom (Legolas) has indicated that he may also appear.
Now, Elijah Wood has strongly hinted that he will return as Frodo Baggins.
Wood said the following during an appearance at Mexico's DesertCon over the weekend (via CBR).
"Well, I can't say anything about that. I know a great deal about it. I've read it. It's really good. There are some wonderful people involved. The thing that is so exciting is that it is really getting the creative band back together. The brain trust behind Lord of the Rings, Fran, Peter, Philippa, they are heavily involved."
"And then, the same production designers. It is going to be shot in New Zealand," he went on. "So, it is going to carry with it such continuity with so many people who are a part of Lord of the Rings, and I am really excited about that. It feels like getting that old machine up and running again with all of the right people."
We're not sure if Wood gave away a little more than he meant to here, but if he's read the script, there's a very good chance he's on board! Granted, he may have been sent the screenplay as a way to gauge his interest, but something tells us we will be seeing Frodo in this movie, even if it's only for a couple of scenes.
We're not sure how these actors will be de-aged to play younger versions of their characters, but Serkis has previously suggested that AI may be utilized.
This time period is mentioned in both Tolkien's novels and Jackson's films, with Gandalf and Aragorn attempting to track Gollum down before he falls into Sauron's hands. In the movies, the wizard says he "searched everywhere for the creature Gollum," but "the Dark Lord found him first." In the books, Aragorn reveals that he did manage to capture Smeagol ("he bit me... and I was not gentle") near the Dead Marshes, but wasn't able to get any information out of him.
“It is an honour and a privilege to travel back to Middle-earth with our good friend and collaborator, Andy Serkis, who has unfinished business with that Stinker – Gollum!,” Jackson, Boyens and Walsh said in a statement when the film was announced. “As life long fans of Professor Tolkien’s vast mythology, we are proud to be working with Mike De Luca, Pam Abdy and the entire team at Warner Bros. on another epic adventure!”
“Yesssss, Precious. The time has come once more to venture into the unknown with my dear friends, the extraordinary and incomparable guardians of Middle Earth Peter, Fran and Philippa,” added Serkis. “With Mike and Pam, and the Warner Bros team on the quest as well, alongside WETA and our film making family in New Zealand, it’s just all too delicious…”.
“For over two-decades, moviegoers have embraced the Lord of the Rings film trilogy because of the undeniable devotion Peter, Fran and Philippa have shown towards protecting the legacy of Tolkien’s works, and to ensure audiences could experience the incredible world he created in a way that honors his literary vision,” WBD film chiefs Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca added. “We are honored they have agreed be our partners on these two new films. With Andy coming aboard to direct Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum(*WT), we continue an important commitment to excellence that is a true hallmark of how we all want to venture ahead and further contribute to the Lord of the Rings cinematic history.”