Peter Jackson, director ofThe Lord of the RingsandThe Hobbitmovies, recently shared why he won't be directingThe Hunt for Gollum.
The upcoming film will follow Strider/Aragorn's (Jamie Dornan) quest to capture Gollum (formerly Sméagol) before he can reveal the Ring's location to Sauron. Andy Serkis will not only reprise his role as Gollum but also direct the movie.
While accepting an honorary Palme d'Or at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, Jackson explained why he chose not to directThe Hunt for Gollum, saying it would be more interesting if Gollum himself (Serkis) directed it.
'I thought, well, this story would actually be more interesting if Gollum himself directed it — and Andy is about as close as you can get. The film is very much an internal story about Gollum's psychology and his sort of addiction. It's a very personal story to Gollum the character. And so I thought, well, Andy knows this guy better than anybody,'Jackson said.
We’ve been waiting for you, precious. The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum only in theaters 17 December 2027.pic.twitter.com/FuD8Bh8cpl
The Lord of the Ringsdirector also said he did not even consider helming the project himself.
'I didn't really think much about the idea of me doing it at all. I thought the most exciting version of this movie is going to be if Andy Serkis makes it, because he's going to put a Gollum psychology on screen that you cannot imagine,' he said.
However, while Jackson isn't directing the film, he remains involved as a producer, lending his support without interfering.
'I mean, I'm there to help when I can help. If I can be of assistance at certain times and answer questions, I'm there. But I don't interfere,' he said.
Additionally,Jackson also sharedhis thoughts about AI and noted that the ongoing debate surrounding it is partly why Serkis will not win awards for his performance as Gollum.
Source: International Business Times UK
