3 Reasons Why ‘The Hunt for Gollum’ Is Bad & 3 Reasons Why It’s Really Not

The Hunt for Gollum is set to premiere in theaters on December 17, 2027. With Andy Serkis as director, fans can expect another Middle-earth adventure. But only time will tell if the film will be a success or a failure, and there are some pretty strong arguments for both of these outcomes.

Reason #1 Why ‘The Hunt for Gollum’ Can Fail: The Age Gap Problem

Ian McKellen, now in his mid-80s, is over two decades older than when he first played Gandalf. Likewise, bringing back Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn faces the same issue.

The main challenge: the story requires them to play younger versions of their characters than we saw in the original series. And although some fans are willing to overlook many aspects, ignoring obvious age inconsistencies might be pushing it too hard.

Reason #2 Why ‘The Hunt for Gollum’ Can Fail: The Title Has Some Problems

For many, this feels like a missed opportunity to explore Middle-earth further, rather than focusing it (once again) on Gollum.

“Is this the working title? Because it’s terrible and every time I read it I cringe. Serkis needs to let Gollum go. He’s so talented, he can do his cgi/voice acting/ regular acting with a different character in the LotR world,” Redditor Powerful-Scratch1579 wrote.

Reason #3 Why ‘The Hunt for Gollum’ Can Fail: Reboot Fatigue

These days we're all drowning in reboots. Studios keep betting that nostalgia alone will sell tickets, but they often ruin the originals by adding unnecessary and oftentimes inaccurate “fresh takes.”

Reason #1 Why ‘The Hunt for Gollum’ Can Succeed: Andy Serkis Is the Perfect Person for This

No one knows Gollum better than Andy Serkis. Now that he's directing, I'm excited to see what he does. Besides, having someone who understands the technical side as well as the emotional core of the franchise means we might actually end up with something special here.

Reason #2 Why ‘The Hunt for Gollum’ Can Succeed: The OG Gang's Getting Back Together

Yes, the actors are older now, but it's genuinely exciting to see Ian McKellen or Viggo Mortensen reprise their roles. Besides, recently McKellen teased that Elijah Wood may be coming back as well. For an entire generation, these actors are synonymous with these characters.

Reason #3 Why ‘The Hunt for Gollum’ Can Succeed: Middle-earth Has So Much More to Offer

Unlike other franchises that keep recycling the same stories until we're bored, Tolkien's world is packed with untold stories. Middle-earth is vast, full of places yet to be visited and characters yet to be met.