Hunt for Gollum Filming Locations in New Zealand

Hobbiton New Zealand landscape representing Hunt for Gollum filming locations — The Hunt for Gollum is filming in New Zealand, here’s what we know about where

Hunt for Gollum filming locations in New Zealand are still being confirmed one region at a time, but production is officially underway, and if you’re the kind of person who books a trip around a movie’s release date, now is when you start paying attention.

Principal photography on The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum began in New Zealand this month, with a run expected through October 2026 and a theatrical release set for December 17, 2027. That’s a long runway. I’ll be updating this page as real locations get confirmed, so bookmark it if you’re tracking this the way I am.

The quick answer

The Hunt for Gollum is filming in New Zealand, with Wellington as the production hub. Location scouting has been confirmed in Hawke’s Bay and the Waikato, and the original trilogy’s regions, Tongariro National Park, Fiordland, the Canterbury high country, and the Wairarapa, are the most likely places the story’s key settings return to. No specific location has been officially confirmed by Warner Bros. yet. The film releases December 17, 2027.

What is The Hunt for Gollum actually about?

The Hunt for Gollum fills in a gap the original trilogy never showed on screen. It’s pulled from the appendices of The Return of the King, the years when Gandalf sends Aragorn to track down Gollum and confirm what Bilbo’s ring really is. Aragorn’s search runs down the Anduin, into the Dead Marshes, and eventually to Thranduil’s halls in Mirkwood, the years right before Fellowship of the Ring begins.

Andy Serkis directs and reprises Gollum. Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens produce, the same team behind the original trilogy. Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf and Elijah Wood returns as Frodo. Jamie Dornan steps into Aragorn, since Viggo Mortensen isn’t returning for this one. Kate Winslet has joined as a new character, with her role still under wraps at the time of writing. Anya Taylor-Joy is also in the cast as a movie-original character, and Lee Pace is confirmed for a role widely expected to be Thranduil.

Weta Workshop interior, home base for Hunt for Gollum production — Wellington, the production hub behind every Middle-earth film since the original trilogy

Where is The Hunt for Gollum being filmed?

Wellington is the production hub, which puts the film inside the same infrastructure that built the original trilogy and the Hobbit films, Weta Workshop, Weta FX, Stone Street Studios, and Park Road Post. Beyond Wellington, two regions have confirmed location scouting activity: Hawke’s Bay on the North Island’s east coast, and the Waikato, home to the permanent Hobbiton set and the podocarp forest of Pureora Forest Park.

No specific filming site has been officially announced yet. Any location list you see right now, including the guesses further down this page, is informed speculation based on where the original trilogy filmed the same story beats, not a confirmed shooting schedule.

Wellington harbour, New Zealand, production hub for The Hunt for Gollum — Wellington’s harbour, the base of operations for New Zealand’s biggest film productions

Which real New Zealand locations might show up in the film?

This is speculation, not confirmed information, and I’ll update this section the moment anything changes. But the story itself gives us strong clues, because Aragorn’s route through Wilderland, the Dead Marshes, and Mirkwood already has a filming history from the original trilogy.

Kepler Mire wetland in Fiordland New Zealand, the original Dead Marshes filming location — Kepler Mire in Fiordland, the Dead Marshes in the original trilogy and the top candidate to return

The Dead Marshes. Kepler Mire, on the Te Anau side of the Kepler Track in Fiordland, played the Dead Marshes in The Two Towers. It’s a 941-hectare wetland with the exact flat, pale light Peter Jackson’s original aerial shots used. Since Aragorn’s capture of Gollum happens near here in the story, this is the single most likely location to return.

Mirkwood. The original trilogy used Snowdon Forest and beech stands in Mount Aspiring National Park to play Fangorn, and a similar silver beech forest is the most likely stand-in again. The Waikato scouting is worth watching here too. Pureora Forest Park has a completely different texture, taller podocarp forest instead of beech, which could give this Mirkwood a darker, more primeval look than anything in the original films.

Silver beech forest in Fiordland New Zealand, the kind of landscape that played Mirkwood and Fangorn — The beech forests of Fiordland, a strong candidate to stand in for Mirkwood again

The Anduin. The Waiau River in Fiordland played the Anduin in Fellowship of the Ring, and it’s a short distance from Kepler Mire, which would let a single unit crew cover both locations. The Rangitata, Rakaia, and Hopkins Rivers on the South Island are also strong candidates for the reed-and-shingle Wilderland country Aragorn crosses.

Tongariro National Park New Zealand, volcanic landscape that played the Misty Mountains and Mount Doom — Tongariro National Park, the most iconic Misty Mountains stand-in in the franchise

The Misty Mountains passes. Tongariro National Park, which played the eastern slopes of the Misty Mountains and Mount Doom itself, is the most iconic and most accessible option, about four and a half hours from the Wellington hub.

Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata New Zealand, the permanent Shire filming location — Hobbiton, the only real Shire location in the world and still open for tours today

Hobbiton. If the film includes any framing scenes in the Shire, Hobbiton in Matamata is the only realistic option. It’s been a permanent, camera-ready set since the Hobbit trilogy rebuild, and it’s the most visited Lord of the Rings location in New Zealand today.

Can you visit Hunt for Gollum filming locations right now?

Not the active ones. A production at this scale locks down its sets, closed roads, security, no public access, and that won’t change until well after filming wraps.

What you can visit right now is every location the original trilogy already used to tell this exact story, Kepler Mire, the Waiau River, Tongariro, and Hobbiton among them. If The Hunt for Gollum reuses even a handful of these sites, which is likely given how tightly the story follows Tolkien’s original geography, you’ll have walked ground that ends up on screen in December 2027.

I’ve been to every one of these myself, and I build custom itineraries around them for clients planning their own Middle-earth trip. My Lord of the Rings Tours New Zealand guide breaks down how to actually see them, and my South Island Lord of the Rings locations guide covers the Fiordland and Canterbury sites in more depth.

Should you plan a New Zealand trip around The Hunt for Gollum?

If you’ve been putting off a Middle-earth trip, this is the moment demand starts building, not after the movie releases. I watched the same pattern happen when Rings of Power went into production, search interest and inquiries moved with the news, not with the premiere.

My own group LOTR Pilgrimage trip is currently sold out, every seat is spoken for, but the waitlist is open for anyone hoping a spot frees up on a future departure. If you don’t want to wait and see, I also build fully independent, one-on-one New Zealand itineraries from scratch, same Hobbiton, same South Island landscapes, same access to the places that make this country feel like Middle-earth, just built around your own timeline instead of a group calendar. My Middle-earth New Zealand guide is a good starting point if you’re not sure yet what a trip like this even looks like.

Join the Waitlist for the Next Pilgrimage / Start My Custom New Zealand Trip

Frequently asked questions

Is The Hunt for Gollum being filmed in New Zealand? Yes. Wellington is the production hub, with confirmed location scouting in Hawke’s Bay and the Waikato.

When does The Hunt for Gollum come out? December 17, 2027.

Who is in the cast? Andy Serkis directs and plays Gollum. Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf, Elijah Wood returns as Frodo, Jamie Dornan takes over as Aragorn, and Kate Winslet, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Lee Pace have joined the cast in roles still being confirmed.

Can I visit the actual filming locations now? Not the active sets. But you can visit the original trilogy locations that inspired the same story, several of which are strong candidates to appear in the new film.

Is this the same trip as the sold-out LOTR Pilgrimage? No. The Pilgrimage group departure is sold out with a waitlist open for future dates. I also build custom, one-on-one New Zealand trips on your own timeline, which don’t depend on group availability.

Why work with a fantasy travel specialist for this

Anyone can book a flight to Auckland. Building a trip around the exact locations that inspired Wilderland, the Dead Marshes, and Mirkwood, and doing it with the logistics, timing, and access that a remote country like New Zealand demands, is a different job entirely.

I’m a New Zealand Advanced Specialist, I’ve personally been to the sites this page covers, and I track this production the way some people track sports scores. When new locations get confirmed, this page updates. When you’re ready to plan your own trip around them, I’m the one who’s already done the homework.

New Zealand photo supporting custom Middle-earth trip planning with Flights and Fables — Building a custom Middle-earth trip, on your timeline, no group calendar required

Ready to plan your own Middle-earth trip?

The Hunt for Gollum still has over a year of filming and marketing ahead of it before its December 2027 release, which means the best time to start planning a trip like this is now, before demand catches up to where the news cycle already is.

If a future group departure interests you, join the waitlist and you’ll hear first when the next one opens. If you’d rather not wait and see, I build fully custom, one-on-one New Zealand itineraries built around your timeline, your budget, and the exact locations that matter most to you.

Join the Waitlist for a Future Pilgrimage

Schedule a Free Consultation for a Custom Trip

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