Elijah Wood has expressed his confidence in the upcomingThe Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, but his reasoning completely ignores Peter Jackson’s biggest franchise mistake. Wood was the star of Jackson’sLord of the Ringstrilogy, and though he’s not involved in the coming project, his excitement for more Middle-earth films from this creative team is undoubtedly reassuring. No one knows better the care Jackson would typically take with this beloved IP. However, Wood’s words on the subject imply that he has forgotten that Jackson hasn’t always putLord of the Ringscanon first.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollumwill be directed by Andy Serkis, with Jackson serving as an executive producer this time. The film will again be distributed by Warner Bros and New Line Cinema, with other creative minds from theLord of the Ringsreturning for this project as well.Hunt for Gollumwill be set after Bildbo’s 111th birthday, during a period in which both Gandalf (through Aragorn) and Sauron are searching for Gollum to discover the fate of the One Ring. Whilethere have been concerns that thenewLord of the Ringsfilmis just a cash grab, Wood has faith that this isn’t the case.
Elijah Wood’s Faith In Hunt For Gollum Ignores Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit Trilogy
Peter Jackson Hasn’t Always Gotten It Right
Wood explainedthat he understands the concerns that moreLord of the Ringsmovies would be cash grabs, but he further reinforced that he is confident that this won’t be the case forHunt for Gollum’screative team.“I think the idea of there being more films in that universe is only exciting if it’s being shepherded by Pete, Fran, and Philippa and the rest of their creative universe in New Zealand,“Wood said, responding to the concern surrounding such an expansion to theLord of the Ringsfranchise.
Wood is referring to Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens in his comment, who all worked onThe Lord of the Rings,The Hobbit, andThe Hunt for Gollumtogether.
The problem here is that while theLord of the Ringstrilogy was expertly and sensitively handled, the same is not typically said for Jackson’sThe Hobbittrilogy. Tolkien’s short and sweet Middle-earth novel was expanded into three full-feature films, a move that could easily be called a “cash grab.” While there is certainly reason to be excited aboutHunt for Gollum, it can’t be denied thatJackson’s creative team has needlessly expanded theLord of the Ringsfranchise in the past. So, these individuals being behind this new movie aren’t quite enough to calm fears entirely.
More Lord Of The Rings Projects Are Exciting, But Warner Bros Must Be Careful
Tolkien provided Hollywood with more than enough source material to make exciting and meaningful adaptations, so there is a great deal to look forward to. Gollum’s adventure prior to meeting up with the Fellowship of the Ring in Moria is a story that audiences have been requesting for years, so the fact that Serkis and Jackson are making it happen with Warner Bros and New Line Cinema is exciting.However, just because a storycanbe adapted does not mean it should.The plot ofHunt for Gollumwill have to justify the film’s existence. Otherwise, it will be categorized alongsideThe Hobbitmoviesas a cash grab.
As Wood suggests, theLord of the Ringstrilogy is great evidence thatHunt for Gollumwill be handled with care and will, therefore, prove itself worth making. However, Jackson’s past fumbles can’t be ignored. The director and producer will need to learn from his mistakes, and other creatives like Serkis, Walsh, and Boyens will also have to consider these things. Otherwise,futureLord of the Ringsmovies risk significantly damaging the franchise as a whole.
How Peter Jackson Can Learn From His The Hobbit Mistakes
The Hunt For Gollum Must Find The Right Balance
There was a lot of potential for aThe Hobbitmovie, but Jackson took the project too far. There was no need for this tale to be stretched across three movies. Though the addition of the White Council’s overarching conflict with the Necromancer (Sauron) brought value to the story (since Tolkien himself retroactively expanded this tale), other storylines came off as little more than gimmicky. There were needless love triangles, overly dramatized conflicts, and added characters that didn’t live up to any organic potential within the story.
The Hobbitmovies contained hours of bloat, and this must be reeled back forThe Hunt for Gollum.
Ultimately,it’s important that the creative team forThe Hobbitapproach their next project with a better understanding of the balance necessarywhen adapting books to the screen.TheLord of the Ringstrilogywasn’t innocent of making changes to canon, but they were done far more tastefully overall.The Hobbitmovies contained hours of bloat, and this must be reeled back forThe Hunt for Gollum.So long as the newer expansions ofThe Lord of the Ringsstay as true to the source as possible and add to the story only when necessary, the phrase “cash grab” can be left in the dust.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum
Cast
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is an upcoming fantasy adventure film that delves into the story of Gollum’s obsession with the One Ring.
