Andy Serkis Confirms AI De-Aging in ‘The Hunt For Gollum’

There had been hints that AI-assisted de-aging might play a role in Andy Serkis’ ‘The Hunt for Gollum,’ particularly with familiar characters such as Gandalf and Frodo appearing during the period between ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Fellowship of the Ring.’

Andy Serkis has now confirmed that AI will play a part in ‘The Hunt for Gollum.’ He didn’t provide a full technical breakdown, but with producer Peter Jackson recently describing AI as just another filmmaking tool at Cannes, it’s hardly a surprise.

Serkis tells Variety that digitally recreating or de-aging actors using AI is acceptable if their likenesses are licensed, framing it as an extension of visual effects rather than a replacement for actors.

So, Lord of the Rings fans should expect AI-assisted de-aging—combined with traditional visual effects—to be used “selectively” in ‘The Hunt for Gollum.’

Orlando Bloom recently confirmed that he’d spoken to Serkis about the upcoming film and was told there were plans to de-age the actors using AI technology:

I really don’t know what [they are planning]. I did speak to Andy [Serkis] and he did say they were thinking about how to do things. I was like, ‘How would that even work?’ And he was like, ‘Well, AI!’ and I was like, ‘Oh, OK!’ It was a pretty magical time in my life, and it’s one of those things where there’s not a downside to it.

I’m torn on this issue, especially since I’m not entirely sure whether de-aging technology has evolved enough since Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” which is one of the main examples people point to when discussing the flaws of the de-aging process in film. And it’s not just “The Irishman.” More recently, “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” “The Flash,” and Robert Zemeckis’ “Here” have all de-aged actors, with mixed results.

‘The Hunt for Gollum’ is set around the time of ‘The Fellowship of the Ring,’ shortly before Frodo Baggins leaves the Shire for Rivendell. The film begins with Gandalf sending Aragorn on a quest to find Gollum. The cast includes Elijah Wood as Frodo, Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Kate Winslet as Marigold, Lee Pace as Thranduil, Serkis as Sméagol/Gollum, and Anya Taylor-Joy as Seren.

Production began last week in New Zealand, with a December 17, 2027, release already planned via New Line/Warner Bros.