Middle-earth becomes intimate: farewell to great battles

The Lord of the Rings franchise by Peter Jackson is changing course. Upcoming projects will leave behind the epic battles of previous trilogies to focus on a more folkloric and intimate narrative. Jackson will not direct but will participate as an executive producer. The first installment, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, will be directed by Andy Serkis, who will also portray the creature.

cinematic scene of Gollum crawling through a dark misty forest stream, clutching a dead fish, wide fearful eyes reflecting a distant glowing campfire, Andy Serkis shadowed figure creeping behind a mossy rock with a wooden staff, no epic armies, intimate forest setting, photorealistic fantasy render, wet moss-covered roots, blue twilight fog, muddy hands gripping the fish, glowing fireflies, hyper-detailed textures, dramatic chiaroscuro lighting, shallow depth of field focusing on Gollum's expression

Motion capture and flashbacks: the engine of the new narrative 🎬

Andy Serkis, a veteran in motion capture, will direct and star in the film. The plot is set before The Fellowship of the Ring, following the hunt for Gollum. The film will use flashbacks to explore his past, from his life as Sméagol to his transformation. This allows for a technical development focused on the digital expressiveness of the character, with smaller settings than the massive battles, prioritizing facial animation and close-up camera work.

Gollum, the anti-hero who deserves his own spin-off 🧙‍♂️

Finally, the most charismatic and least-toothed creature in Middle-earth will have its moment of glory. Forget Frodo and his ring backpack; now we will see Gollum fleeing, complaining, and talking to himself for two hours. Sure, without great armies: just him, his precious, and a bunch of flashbacks to remind us he wasn't always so weird. Good thing Serkis knows how to do it well.