Elijah Wood Says He 'Certainly Wouldn’t Want Anybody Else to Play' His “Lord of the Rings” Character

Tommy McArdleMon, March 9, 2026 at 4:52 PM UTC

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Elijah Wood on Sept. 9, 2025; Elijah Wood in 2001's Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the RingCredit: Michael Tullberg/Getty; Pierre Vinet/New Line -

Elijah Wood said that he wants to continue portraying Frodo Baggins in more The Lord of the Rings movies

Frodo appears poised to return to the series in 2027's The Hunt for Gollum, though Wood noted his appearance in the movie has not yet been "officially announced"

Andy Serkis, who portrays Gollum, is directing the movie, with Lord of the Rings filmmaker Peter Jackson on board to produce

Elijah Wood is making his pitch to continue playing Frodo Baggins in any future The Lord of the Rings movies.

Wood, who is currently promoting his new slasher movie Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, seemingly confirmed his Lord of the Rings costar Sir Ian McKellen's August 2025 announcement that Wood will reprise his role as Frodo in the franchise's forthcoming entry The Hunt for Gollum in an interview with the U.K.'s The Times on Friday, March 6.

“I’m just excited,” Wood, 45, told the outlet, after acknowledging that McKellen, 86, "sort of let the cat out of the bag" when he announced that both Gandalf and Frodo would appear in the movie during an appearance at a convention in London in August.

When The Times' reporter noted that McKellen recently told the outlet that he "could not allow anyone else to play Gandalf," Wood said in response, "Well, no, and I totally get that. I certainly wouldn’t want anybody else to play Frodo either as long as I’m alive and able."

"And I can also recognize what fun that is going to be — when you are in the cinema and you see the hat turn around and it’s Gandalf," he added. "Because I’m also a fan, and excited to see how it all comes together.”

Ian McKellen and Elijah Wood in 2001's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the RingCredit: New Line/WireImage

Wood and McKellen, who portrays the wizard Gandalf in the franchise, costarred in filmmaker Peter Jackson's early 2000s Lord of the Rings trilogy and reunited with the director for The Hobbit movies, all based on author J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy works set in Middle-earth.

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In May 2024, Warner Bros. announced that Andy Serkis, who portrays the character Gollum, will reprise the role in The Hunt for Gollum, which he will also direct. The movie is scheduled for release on Dec. 17, 2027.

Warner Bros. also announced at the time that Jackson, 64, and screenwriters Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens would also produce a second new movie set in Middle-earth, though no new information about that project has been announced since.

“It hasn’t been officially announced," Wood told The Times of the not-quite-official news that he will play Frodo again in the movie. “So there is a good chance. I’m not able to officially say anything until it’s announced, but I will say I’m thrilled with the prospect of another film."

"It’s always a little nerve-racking when people talk about new movies for a world like Middle-Earth," he added. "Everyone gets a little protective and hopes it retains its level of integrity, but this story is fun, thrilling. There is a genuine feeling of getting the band back together."

Elijah Wood in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the KingCredit: Pierre Vinet/New Line

Wood last appeared as Frodo in 2012's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first of three prequel movies that saw Martin Freeman portray a young version of Bilbo Baggins, Frodo's cousin.

Most recently, Wood appeared onscreen in the 2025 movie The Monkey, as well as in the third season of Yellowjackets. His new movie Ready or Not 2: Here I Come hits theaters March 20.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”