With Frodo Baggins confirmed for a role in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, many are wondering exactly how this is possible. Updates about Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum have been few and far between since the movie was announced. Gollum actor Andy Serkis is directing the project for a December 2027 release.

Beyond that, little has been revealed about the upcoming Lord of the Rings movie. Rumors and speculation have been rampant about which members of Lord of the Rings‘ Fellowship of the Ring could reprise their roles in the project, yet nothing of note has been confirmed. That is, until Ian McKellen teased Gandalf and Frodo’s return to the franchise.

At London’s For the Love of Fantasy convention in August 2025, McKellen confirmed that The Hunt for Gollum will start filming in May 2026. He also confirmed “two secrets about the casting. There’s a character in the movie called Frodo, and there’s a character in the movie called Gandalf.”

While McKellen did not make it clear whether he and fellow Lord of the Rings costar Elijah Wood would reprise their roles, the confirmation of the characters’ involvement is news enough. Naturally, the question now turns to how Frodo can return in the franchise.

The Hunt For Gollum’s Story Easily Allows Elijah Wood’s Frodo To Return

Screenwriter Philippa Boyens confirmed Gandalf’s return to Empire in 2024, meaning there are no questions over the wandering wizard’s involvement in the story. Frodo, however, was not necessarily expected to have a role in The Hunt for Gollum.

The reason for this was the film’s plot, which is expected to focus on Gandalf’s – and Aragorn’s – search for Gollum during the events of The Fellowship of the Ring. In the 2001 movie, Gandalf tells Frodo, “I looked everywhere for the creature Gollum. But the Enemy found him first.”

Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is expected to center on this search, yet this would seemingly take place predominantly outside the Shire, leaving Frodo absent. However, with this timeline for The Hunt for Gollum in mind, Elijah Wood could easily cameo as Frodo.

For instance, the film could begin with Gandalf leaving Frodo in the Shire, allowing the latter to appear in a similar capacity to his role in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Conversely, the film could end with Gandalf returning to Frodo and the Shire after his search for Gollum and answers about the One Ring.

In the original Lord of the Rings novels, Gandalf spends almost 20 years away from the Shire. In the movie, Gandalf’s absence is seemingly only a matter of days. The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum could change this by detailing exactly what Gandalf got up to. Frodo Baggins, as the saga’s all-important Ringbearer, is likely to bookend that story.

Some reports have also claimed that the film’s timeline could go right up to the Mines of Moria sequence in The Fellowship of the Ring. This would allow Frodo to return alongside Gandalf, Aragorn, and the other six members of the Fellowship. This makes sense, as Gandalf and Frodo have an important talk about Gollum in the Mines.

Given that Gollum is set to be a major focus of the film, tying Frodo’s appearance to his perception of Gollum makes a lot of sense. After all, the relationship between Gollum and Frodo is vital to the final moments of the saga. The Hunt for Gollum could make that all the more important by having Frodo’s appearance in the movie tied to Gollum’s first tease in The Fellowship of the Ring.