Following Hobbit Day on September 22, Warner Bros. released the first 10 photos from The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum via TikTok, featuring the return of Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins. This marks his first time returning to the role as the lead since 2003's The Return of the King. According to the Shire calendar, September 22 is the shared birthday of Bilbo and Frodo, and the photos were timed shortly after this date, focusing on the Shire bathed in autumn light.
What do the photos show?
The headline image of this batch shows Frodo walking toward the round green door of Bag End, recreating one of the most iconic scenes in the franchise. The remaining nine photos capture everyday life in the Shire: Hobbits gathering in groups, pumpkins piled high to welcome the harvest season, and an overall autumn atmosphere. Reports indicate this is the first time the franchise has officially presented the landscape of the Shire in such complete detail.
When does the story take place?
The timeline of The Hunt for Gollum is set after Bilbo's 111th birthday party and before Frodo leaves the Shire to begin his journey in The Fellowship of the Ring. In Tolkien's original work, this period spans approximately 17 years, during which Gandalf and Aragorn search for the whereabouts of Gollum, an event later mentioned at the Council of Elrond. While Peter Jackson's original trilogy condensed these years into a few scenes, the new film appears set to bring this pursuit to the screen, meaning much of the film will still take place in the Shire while interweaving events happening elsewhere.
