Forget The Hunt for Gollum, the new Lord of the Rings movie should tell these stories instead

Exciting news, folks: a new Lord of the Rings movie is in the works! The film will be produced by Peter Jackson and will adapt The Hunt for Gollum.

What’s The Hunt for Gollum? Well, while in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, it seems like Frodo left the Shire quickly after inheriting the One Ring, that’s not true in the books. It actually takes Gandalf 17 years to realize the truth about Bilbo’s favorite piece of jewelry. 

During that time, he teams up with Aragorn, and they go on a whole adventure, tracking down Gollum, who tells them all of the trouble he’s been in since leaving the Misty Mountains. It makes sense why Jackson would want to adapt this story — but is it really the best he can do?

After all, Tolkien was a prolific writer, and the history of Middle-earth is a literal smorgasbord of incredible stories. There are epic legends of great elven heroes, terrible dark lords born from the songs of gods, and creatures capable of devouring heavenly light. 

So, with such a rich buffet of stories available to adapt, including Tolkien’s unfinished tales from Middle-earth’s forgotten history, why adapt something he didn’t consider important enough to include in the films the first time around?

Unfortunately, we don’t know, but I’m something of a Middle-earth scholar myself, so I poured through my well-thumbed copy of The Silmarillion and Untold Tales to find five stories I’d prefer to see Jackson adapt over the Hunt for the Ring. Ok, I say five. I mean four stories and one joke at the expense of an inexplicable fan-favorite character.

Tom Bombadil

Could Peter Jackson right a historic wrong and finally give Tom Bombadil his time to shine? On second thoughts, maybe this one’s best forgotten.

The War of Wrath

Warner Bros.

The War of Wrath is the largest battle ever in Arda’s history. This colossal conflict saw the race of Men, Elves, and Valar unite to take down Morgoth, Middle-earth’s version of Satan. This battle puts the E, P, and I in epic and makes the Battle of Helm’s Deep look like kids playing soldiers. 

On one side, we had Morgoth leading an army of evil creatures, including dragons, werewolves, balrogs, orcs, and every fiend in existence gathered under the dark lord’s banners. On the other side, the greatest host ever assembled by Men and Elves, Dwarves, and even the Eagles (who finally got off their feathered bottoms and did something). 

When the two armies clashed, the continent of Middle-earth cracked, but in the end, thanks to the intervention of the Valar, the forces of good triumphed over evil, and Morgoth was cast out of existence. Unfortunately, the sheer scale of The War of Wrath means it’s unlikely to ever be adapted unless Warner Bros. gives Jackson a mountain of mithril to sell to fund his film. 

Dagor Dagorath

Prime Video

Speaking of Morgoth, while he was banished from Arda by his fellow Valar, he’s prophesied to return. This apocalyptic event is called the Dagor Dagorath, and it’s the Middle-earth equivalent of armageddon, the Rapture, and a supervolcano going off on the same day. 

Tolkien barely wrote about the Dagor Dagorath at all (in fact, his son Christopher would later claim his father had abandoned the idea), so it leaves the filmmakers with an almost blank slate to work with. 

You could have Morgoth returning, getting his boy Sauron and the Balrog band back together, only for them to be opposed by the Valar and whatever is left of the mortal races. Basically, I just want to see another epic battle, and Dagor Dagorath ticks that box. 

The Last Alliance of Elves and Men

Warner Bros.

Did someone say big battles? Well, why not adapt the biggest battle of the Second Age? This was during the last days of the age when all seemed lost. Sauron had The One Ring, and he seemed unstoppable. Until the races of Men and Elves banded together for one last time. This is the fight we see at the start of Jackson’s Fellowship of the Ring, the battle that cost Sauron his physical form and reduced him to a spirit. 

I’ve always wanted to see more from this legendary event in Middle-earth’s history, and it doesn’t have to be all action, either. It could play out like Game of Thrones, all politics, and intrigue as Isildur tries to convince Gil-galad and Durin IV to join his alliance against Sauron. While this would be cool, it seems to be the direction Rings of Power is going in, so maybe Jackson will want to avoid any accusations of treading on the Amazon show’s toes. 

Lord of the Rings Origins: Gandalf

Warner Bros.

Ok, we know that the Rings of Power might be telling Gandalf’s origin story. Still, a film detailing how the Grey Wizard came to leave Valinor and travel to Middle-earth could shed some light on one of Tolkien’s more mysterious characters who just so happens to be a fan favorite. 

It doesn’t have to be an origin story either; Gandalf spent centuries in Middle-earth, and not all of his adventures are documented. Maybe Jackson could use Gandalf to shed light on other less well-explored parts of Tolkien’s mythology, like Alatar and Pallando, the Blue Wizards who traveled west and were lost in unknown circumstances. I know it’s unlikely, but a man can dream! 

If you want more Lord of the Rings news, check out our guide breaking down everything you need to know about the Rings of Power Season 2 as well as The War of the Rohirrim. Or, if you prefer your fantasy with more dragons and less jewelry, we have a full guide to the House of the Dragon Season 2 release date. Finally check out our list of the best new shows on streaming this month.