{"id":2041027,"date":"2026-07-13T16:10:49","date_gmt":"2026-07-13T13:10:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2041027"},"modified":"2026-07-13T16:10:49","modified_gmt":"2026-07-13T13:10:49","slug":"the-lord-of-the-rings-the-hunt-for-gollum-will-use-ai-to-de-age-some-of-its-characters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2041027","title":{"rendered":"The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum Will Use AI to De-Age Some of Its Characters"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-cy=\"article-content\" class=\"jsx-2870106660 article-content page-0\">\n<section data-cy=\"article-subtitle\" class=\"article jsx-3932497636 article-section jsx-862658659 news\" data-autopogo=\"true\">\n<section class=\"article-page\">\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/movies\/lord-of-the-rings-the-hunt-for-gollum\">The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum<\/a> will digitally de-age some of its characters using machine learning and AI, director Andy Serkis has admitted.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">A prequel to the original The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Serkis&#8217; spinoff will see Elijah Wood and Ian McKellen return to their legendary roles of Frodo and Gandalf \u2014 more than 25 years on from when Fellowship of the Ring released.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Many fans had wondered how the film would handle the fact that Wood and McKellen are now a quarter of a century older. And now, via an interview with <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2026\/film\/global\/andy-serkis-animal-farm-ai-hunt-for-gollum-motion-capture-1236809573\/\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Variety<\/a>, we appear to have an answer: some level of digital de-aging will be used to make characters such as Frodo and Gandalf appear more similar to their younger selves.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Discussing the controversial topic of AI usage in filmmaking, Serkis said he believed the technology was &#8220;valuable&#8221; as long as it was &#8220;not exploitative and as long as it&#8217;s not harming anybody.&#8221; One use for AI, Serkis said, was to create &#8220;reference material&#8221; similar to how &#8220;in the old days you get reference images for something.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;Well, now you can prompt something and get a result,&#8221; Serkis continued. &#8220;And I don&#8217;t have any problem with that. When it becomes exploitative and people are not remunerated for the work that they&#8217;ve done, or it&#8217;s used in nefarious, or mean-spirited or pornographic ways, then of course, that&#8217;s terrible and we&#8217;ve only brought it upon ourselves. I&#8217;ve said this before and I mean it \u2014 we are the parents of AI, and we have to be good parents and teach AI well. And if we teach AI well, then it can help us across many industries.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><button type=\"button\" style=\"display:none\" class=\"jsx-2228525885\"><\/button><span data-cy=\"slideshow-view-trigger\"><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-preview\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 slideshow-preview\">\n<h3 class=\"title5 jsx-62124236 jsx-1085005187\" data-cy=\"slideshow-preview-title\">The Lord of the Rings Movies in (Chronological) Order<\/h3>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-container\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 images-container\"><button type=\"button\" data-cy=\"hero-image\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 hero-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;1. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)&lt;\/h3&gt;\nThe only potential confusion in the Lord of the Rings-Hobbit timeline comes from the fact that The Hobbit trilogy is set 60 years before The Lord of the Rings, despite being released a decade later.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nChronologically, the story kicks off with 2012\u2019s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which sees Martin Freeman take on the role of a younger Bilbo Baggins (played by Ian Holm in the LotR trilogy). Gandalf \u2013\u00a0one of several characters whose stories run through both trilogies \u2014\u00a0recruits Bilbo to join Thorin (Richard Armitage) and Company to help reclaim the Dwarven kingdom beneath Erebor, aka The Lonely Mountain, that had been sacked by the dragon Smaug. Along the way, Bilbo encounters Gollum for the first time and comes into possession of the One Ring.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><span class=\"button-text jsx-729543028 button button--primary jsx-3381835873 jsx-4266531355 row-pagination-button next contained centered round large\" data-cy=\"paginate next\" title=\"Open Slideshow\"><span class=\"ign-icon right-chevron jsx-2750866048 jsx-2919720488\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-cy=\"right-chevron\" style=\"background:currentColor\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-list\" class=\"scrollbar jsx-2072772685 jsx-4243969252 images-list\"><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;2. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)&lt;\/h3&gt;\nThorin and Company continue their journey toward The Lonely Mountain, fending off giant spiders and orcs along the way. Orlando Bloom\u2019s Legolas (another LotR staple) joins the fray alongside newcomer Tauriel (played by Ant-Man\u2019s Evangeline Lilly). While the company reaches Esgaroth, a lake-town south of Erebor, Bilbo descends into the mountain, where he encounters Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch). Smaug ultimately leaves his lair and departs for Esgaroth, setting up the conclusion of The Hobbit trilogy.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"rounded jsx-412047461 overlay progressive-image jsx-2338608387 expand\" data-cy=\"slideshow-image-overlay\">\n<div data-cy=\"element-caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490\">View 7 Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;3. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)&lt;\/h3&gt;\nThe conflict with Smaug is resolved and the film\u2019s titular battle ensues involving the armies of men, dwarves, elves, and two tribes of orcs. We\u2019re being extra vague here as The Battle of the Five Armies is ripe with resolution (and therefore spoilers), but prepare for an action-heavy film that ultimately leaves off where The Lord of the Rings trilogy begins: back at the Shire, 60 years later, as Gandalf visits Bilbo on his 111th birthday.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;4. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)&lt;\/h3&gt;\nThe first Middle-earth film by release date (and the fourth chronologically) is 2001\u2019s The Fellowship of the Ring. The perspective shifts from Bilbo to his much-younger cousin Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood). Following some exposition that sets up the current state of affairs in Middle-earth, we return to Bilbo\u2019s 111th birthday celebration in the Shire.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nBilbo departs on one last adventure, leaving the One Ring with Frodo; Gandalf warns Frodo he must leave the Shire, as Sauron (the Lord of the Rings) and his evil cronies\u00a0\u2014\u00a0specifically the Nazg\u00fbl, a host of nine horse-mounted wraiths\u00a0\u2014 will be coming for the ring. Frodo departs the Shire with his best friend, Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin), along with fellow hobbits Merry and Pippen.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nAfter some perilous travel and character introductions, including Aragorn (Mortensen), Legolas (Bloom), and Saruman (Christopher Lee), a plan is devised to destroy the Ring in the fires of Mordor&apos;s Mount Doom, where the Rings of Power were forged. The plan is to be carried out by a ragtag group dubbed the Fellowship of the Ring: the wizard Gandalf; the hobbits Frodo, Samwise, Merry, and Pippen; the elf Legolas; the dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies); and humans Aragorn and Boromir (Sean Bean).&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nA treacherous journey leads them to Lothl\u00f3rien, an Elven realm ruled by Cate Blanchett\u2019s Galadriel, who also appears throughout The Hobbit trilogy and is one of the main protagonists of the new Amazon series (this younger version of Galadriel is played by Morfydd Clark). Galadriel advises Frodo, and he decides to continue his journey to Mordor without the others, bringing only his most trusted confidant, Sam.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;5. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)&lt;\/h3&gt;\nFrodo and Sam take on a third, reluctant travel companion in Gollum (voiced by Andy Serkis), a hobbit long ago corrupted by the power of the One Ring. The trio makes it to the outskirts of Mordor, though are stalled by an unforeseen intervention. The other members of the Fellowship embark on a rescue mission; Gandalf takes a new form; and the trilogy\u2019s first epic battle occurs in the gorge of Helm\u2019s Deep.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;6. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)&lt;\/h3&gt;\nAs with The Battle of the Five Armies, The Return of the King\u2019s plot is essentially all spoilers, so we\u2019ll again highlight only the broadest story beats. Gollum, exploiting the influence of the Ring, pits Frodo against Sam and leads the former into the lair of a deadly foe. The other members of the Fellowship, meanwhile, partake in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields \u2014 a massive, final fight against the dark forces of Sauron.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nFrodo and Sam ultimately enter Mordor in disguise and, with help from the other members of the Fellowship, see the original plan through. With the journey concluded, we enter the Fourth Age of Middle-earth and are treated to a bittersweet finale.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Asked if Serkis planned to use AI in The Hunt for Gollum, the actor-turned-director replied: &#8220;Not at present, other than some of the de-aging,&#8221; before refusing to confirm specifically which actors would be subject to an AI de-aging process.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;There\u2019s a little bit of de-aging for some of the characters and machine learning is part of the process,&#8221; Serkis continued, going on to compare the technology to Jackson&#8217;s usage of a computer program which helped generate animations for the original trilogy&#8217;s army of orcs. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;When you think about it, in the original Lord of the Rings films, Peter created MASSIVE, which was a program which allowed 1000s of orcs to all have their own individual mindset,&#8221; Serkis said. &#8220;So that is a brilliant example of an incredible use of AI. But we&#8217;re not creating AI shots in our movie, every shot is created in a traditional way. One of the things actually that I really wanted to do with this film was to bring back all of the great filmmaking skills, from miniatures to prosthetics and marry them up, because that&#8217;s my taste. I like it when you mix up different filmmaking techniques.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-2896921488 video jsx-2008855984 aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9\">\n<div class=\"badge jsx-1349606671 jsx-3647116352\"><span class=\"ign-icon icon-play jsx-2750866048 jsx-1044454891\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"false\" data-cy=\"icon-play\" aria-label=\"Play\" style=\"background:currentColor\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">The Hunt for Gollum filming has now completed its first week of filming in New Zealand, with McKellen and Wood joined by Lee Pace reprising his character of elven king Thranduil from Jackson&#8217;s The Hobbit film trilogy. Anya Taylor-Joy has meanwhile joined the cast as new elven character, Seren.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">One character who won&#8217;t need de-aging via AI is Viggo Mortensen&#8217;s Aragorn, however \u2014 since the role has been recast. With Mortensen apparently declining to participate, Fifty Shades of Grey actor Jamie Dornan will now take on the Ranger&#8217;s role.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;I&#8217;m leaving him to it,&#8221; <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/peter-jackson-has-explained-why-hes-not-directing-lord-of-the-rings-the-hunt-for-gollum\">The Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson said previously<\/a>, regarding Serkis taking the helm. &#8220;I&#8217;m there to help if I can help, if I can be of assistance at certain times, I&#8217;m there. But I&#8217;m giving him as much freedom as I can, because giving Andy freedom to make that movie will result in the best possible film.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is due to land in theaters on December 17, 2027. It will be followed by The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of the Past, the film now being co-written by Stephen Colbert, which will adapt unseen elements from Tolkein&#8217;s Fellowship of the Ring novel, told via flashback.<\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"accent-divider\" class=\"jsx-3449795453 divider jsx-2786329600\"><\/div>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><em>Image credit: New Line Cinema<\/em><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><em>Tom Phillips is IGN&#8217;s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/tomphillipseg.bsky.social\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@tomphillipseg.bsky.social<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<p><span class=\"stack jsx-1475529924\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-2155806329 adunit-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"jsx-2155806329 bobble bobble-1 pogocnt pg-article\">\n<div data-mix-name=\"secondaryMedrec\" data-pos=\"1\" data-pogo-hide=\"1\" class=\"jsx-343126785 pogo-slot\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<section class=\"article-page\">\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/movies\/lord-of-the-rings-the-hunt-for-gollum\">The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum<\/a> will digitally de-age some of its characters using machine learning and AI, director Andy Serkis has admitted.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">A prequel to the original The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Serkis&#8217; spinoff will see Elijah Wood and Ian McKellen return to their legendary roles of Frodo and Gandalf \u2014 more than 25 years on from when Fellowship of the Ring released.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Many fans had wondered how the film would handle the fact that Wood and McKellen are now a quarter of a century older. And now, via an interview with <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2026\/film\/global\/andy-serkis-animal-farm-ai-hunt-for-gollum-motion-capture-1236809573\/\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Variety<\/a>, we appear to have an answer: some level of digital de-aging will be used to make characters such as Frodo and Gandalf appear more similar to their younger selves.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Discussing the controversial topic of AI usage in filmmaking, Serkis said he believed the technology was &#8220;valuable&#8221; as long as it was &#8220;not exploitative and as long as it&#8217;s not harming anybody.&#8221; One use for AI, Serkis said, was to create &#8220;reference material&#8221; similar to how &#8220;in the old days you get reference images for something.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;Well, now you can prompt something and get a result,&#8221; Serkis continued. &#8220;And I don&#8217;t have any problem with that. When it becomes exploitative and people are not remunerated for the work that they&#8217;ve done, or it&#8217;s used in nefarious, or mean-spirited or pornographic ways, then of course, that&#8217;s terrible and we&#8217;ve only brought it upon ourselves. I&#8217;ve said this before and I mean it \u2014 we are the parents of AI, and we have to be good parents and teach AI well. And if we teach AI well, then it can help us across many industries.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><button type=\"button\" style=\"display:none\" class=\"jsx-2228525885\"><\/button><span data-cy=\"slideshow-view-trigger\"><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-preview\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 slideshow-preview\">\n<h3 class=\"title5 jsx-62124236 jsx-1085005187\" data-cy=\"slideshow-preview-title\">The Lord of the Rings Movies in (Chronological) Order<\/h3>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-container\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 images-container\"><button type=\"button\" data-cy=\"hero-image\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 hero-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;1. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)&lt;\/h3&gt;\nThe only potential confusion in the Lord of the Rings-Hobbit timeline comes from the fact that The Hobbit trilogy is set 60 years before The Lord of the Rings, despite being released a decade later.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nChronologically, the story kicks off with 2012\u2019s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which sees Martin Freeman take on the role of a younger Bilbo Baggins (played by Ian Holm in the LotR trilogy). Gandalf \u2013\u00a0one of several characters whose stories run through both trilogies \u2014\u00a0recruits Bilbo to join Thorin (Richard Armitage) and Company to help reclaim the Dwarven kingdom beneath Erebor, aka The Lonely Mountain, that had been sacked by the dragon Smaug. Along the way, Bilbo encounters Gollum for the first time and comes into possession of the One Ring.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><span class=\"button-text jsx-729543028 button button--primary jsx-3381835873 jsx-4266531355 row-pagination-button next contained centered round large\" data-cy=\"paginate next\" title=\"Open Slideshow\"><span class=\"ign-icon right-chevron jsx-2750866048 jsx-2919720488\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-cy=\"right-chevron\" style=\"background:currentColor\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-list\" class=\"scrollbar jsx-2072772685 jsx-4243969252 images-list\"><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;2. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)&lt;\/h3&gt;\nThorin and Company continue their journey toward The Lonely Mountain, fending off giant spiders and orcs along the way. Orlando Bloom\u2019s Legolas (another LotR staple) joins the fray alongside newcomer Tauriel (played by Ant-Man\u2019s Evangeline Lilly). While the company reaches Esgaroth, a lake-town south of Erebor, Bilbo descends into the mountain, where he encounters Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch). Smaug ultimately leaves his lair and departs for Esgaroth, setting up the conclusion of The Hobbit trilogy.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"rounded jsx-412047461 overlay progressive-image jsx-2338608387 expand\" data-cy=\"slideshow-image-overlay\">\n<div data-cy=\"element-caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490\">View 7 Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;3. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)&lt;\/h3&gt;\nThe conflict with Smaug is resolved and the film\u2019s titular battle ensues involving the armies of men, dwarves, elves, and two tribes of orcs. We\u2019re being extra vague here as The Battle of the Five Armies is ripe with resolution (and therefore spoilers), but prepare for an action-heavy film that ultimately leaves off where The Lord of the Rings trilogy begins: back at the Shire, 60 years later, as Gandalf visits Bilbo on his 111th birthday.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;4. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)&lt;\/h3&gt;\nThe first Middle-earth film by release date (and the fourth chronologically) is 2001\u2019s The Fellowship of the Ring. The perspective shifts from Bilbo to his much-younger cousin Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood). Following some exposition that sets up the current state of affairs in Middle-earth, we return to Bilbo\u2019s 111th birthday celebration in the Shire.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nBilbo departs on one last adventure, leaving the One Ring with Frodo; Gandalf warns Frodo he must leave the Shire, as Sauron (the Lord of the Rings) and his evil cronies\u00a0\u2014\u00a0specifically the Nazg\u00fbl, a host of nine horse-mounted wraiths\u00a0\u2014 will be coming for the ring. Frodo departs the Shire with his best friend, Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin), along with fellow hobbits Merry and Pippen.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nAfter some perilous travel and character introductions, including Aragorn (Mortensen), Legolas (Bloom), and Saruman (Christopher Lee), a plan is devised to destroy the Ring in the fires of Mordor&apos;s Mount Doom, where the Rings of Power were forged. The plan is to be carried out by a ragtag group dubbed the Fellowship of the Ring: the wizard Gandalf; the hobbits Frodo, Samwise, Merry, and Pippen; the elf Legolas; the dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies); and humans Aragorn and Boromir (Sean Bean).&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nA treacherous journey leads them to Lothl\u00f3rien, an Elven realm ruled by Cate Blanchett\u2019s Galadriel, who also appears throughout The Hobbit trilogy and is one of the main protagonists of the new Amazon series (this younger version of Galadriel is played by Morfydd Clark). Galadriel advises Frodo, and he decides to continue his journey to Mordor without the others, bringing only his most trusted confidant, Sam.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;5. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)&lt;\/h3&gt;\nFrodo and Sam take on a third, reluctant travel companion in Gollum (voiced by Andy Serkis), a hobbit long ago corrupted by the power of the One Ring. The trio makes it to the outskirts of Mordor, though are stalled by an unforeseen intervention. The other members of the Fellowship embark on a rescue mission; Gandalf takes a new form; and the trilogy\u2019s first epic battle occurs in the gorge of Helm\u2019s Deep.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h3&gt;6. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)&lt;\/h3&gt;\nAs with The Battle of the Five Armies, The Return of the King\u2019s plot is essentially all spoilers, so we\u2019ll again highlight only the broadest story beats. Gollum, exploiting the influence of the Ring, pits Frodo against Sam and leads the former into the lair of a deadly foe. The other members of the Fellowship, meanwhile, partake in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields \u2014 a massive, final fight against the dark forces of Sauron.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nFrodo and Sam ultimately enter Mordor in disguise and, with help from the other members of the Fellowship, see the original plan through. With the journey concluded, we enter the Fourth Age of Middle-earth and are treated to a bittersweet finale.\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2896921488 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Asked if Serkis planned to use AI in The Hunt for Gollum, the actor-turned-director replied: &#8220;Not at present, other than some of the de-aging,&#8221; before refusing to confirm specifically which actors would be subject to an AI de-aging process.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;There\u2019s a little bit of de-aging for some of the characters and machine learning is part of the process,&#8221; Serkis continued, going on to compare the technology to Jackson&#8217;s usage of a computer program which helped generate animations for the original trilogy&#8217;s army of orcs. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;When you think about it, in the original Lord of the Rings films, Peter created MASSIVE, which was a program which allowed 1000s of orcs to all have their own individual mindset,&#8221; Serkis said. &#8220;So that is a brilliant example of an incredible use of AI. But we&#8217;re not creating AI shots in our movie, every shot is created in a traditional way. One of the things actually that I really wanted to do with this film was to bring back all of the great filmmaking skills, from miniatures to prosthetics and marry them up, because that&#8217;s my taste. I like it when you mix up different filmmaking techniques.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-2896921488 video jsx-2008855984 aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9\">\n<div class=\"badge jsx-1349606671 jsx-3647116352\"><span class=\"ign-icon icon-play jsx-2750866048 jsx-1044454891\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"false\" data-cy=\"icon-play\" aria-label=\"Play\" style=\"background:currentColor\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">The Hunt for Gollum filming has now completed its first week of filming in New Zealand, with McKellen and Wood joined by Lee Pace reprising his character of elven king Thranduil from Jackson&#8217;s The Hobbit film trilogy. Anya Taylor-Joy has meanwhile joined the cast as new elven character, Seren.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">One character who won&#8217;t need de-aging via AI is Viggo Mortensen&#8217;s Aragorn, however \u2014 since the role has been recast. With Mortensen apparently declining to participate, Fifty Shades of Grey actor Jamie Dornan will now take on the Ranger&#8217;s role.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;I&#8217;m leaving him to it,&#8221; <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/peter-jackson-has-explained-why-hes-not-directing-lord-of-the-rings-the-hunt-for-gollum\">The Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson said previously<\/a>, regarding Serkis taking the helm. &#8220;I&#8217;m there to help if I can help, if I can be of assistance at certain times, I&#8217;m there. But I&#8217;m giving him as much freedom as I can, because giving Andy freedom to make that movie will result in the best possible film.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is due to land in theaters on December 17, 2027. It will be followed by The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of the Past, the film now being co-written by Stephen Colbert, which will adapt unseen elements from Tolkein&#8217;s Fellowship of the Ring novel, told via flashback.<\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"accent-divider\" class=\"jsx-3449795453 divider jsx-2786329600\"><\/div>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><em>Image credit: New Line Cinema<\/em><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><em>Tom Phillips is IGN&#8217;s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/tomphillipseg.bsky.social\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@tomphillipseg.bsky.social<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will digitally de-age some of its characters using machine learning and AI, director Andy Serkis has admitted. A prequel to the original The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Serkis&#8217; spinoff will see Elijah Wood and Ian McKellen return to their legendary roles of Frodo and Gandalf [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,243],"class_list":["post-2041027","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-ign-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2041027","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2041027"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2041027\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2041027"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2041027"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2041027"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}