Fans of Middle-earth have been buzzing ever since Warner Bros. announced The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum at CinemaCon. While the project brings back Andy Serkis as both star and director, it also confirmed that Viggo Mortensen won't reprise his role as Aragorn—Jamie Dornan steps in instead. The cast already includes Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Elijah Wood as Frodo, and Kate Winslet as a new character, but one original star notably absent from the lineup is Billy Boyd, who played the beloved Peregrin Took.
In an exclusive chat at Calgary Expo, Boyd and his co-star John Rhys-Davies (Gimli) sat down with Collider's Maggie Lovitt. Boyd revealed he knew about Wood and McKellen's return long before the public did, but keeping the secret wasn't hard. “Oh, it’s quite easy. I forgot a lot,” he joked. When asked if he's disappointed not to be part of The Hunt for Gollum, Boyd expressed nothing but support: “I think I’m just happy that they’re looking into that universe again. And it should be the right characters to tell the story. It’s great that Andy’s the one doing it. He’s a great artist, a great actor, and I think he’ll do a wonderful job. I’m excited to see where it goes.”
But Boyd isn't done with Tolkien just yet. He's set to star in another Lord of the Rings movie: Shadow of the Past, written by none other than late-night host and superfan Stephen Colbert. The film takes place 14 years after Frodo's departure and follows Sam, Merry, and Pippin—played by Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, and Boyd—as they retrace their original journey. Sam's daughter Elanor also embarks on her own quest. Colbert co-wrote the script with Peter McGee and Philippa Boyens.
Boyd shared a delightful behind-the-scenes story about his appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert alongside Monaghan. Knowing Colbert's legendary Tolkien obsession, the duo decided to test his knowledge. “As you all know, Stephen Colbert is a huge fan of The Lord of the Rings,” Boyd said. “He told me he reads some part of it every day. Dom and I were going on his show to promote our podcast, and they asked us to prep a question for Stephen.” Boyd initially thought a place name would stump him, but Monaghan suggested a trickier query about the spider Shelob. The producers wanted to know the question in advance, but Monaghan insisted on keeping it a surprise. They finally asked: where in Fangorn Forest did the Ents hold Entmoot? “I could see it in Stephen’s eyes,” Boyd recalled. “He almost had it. He even took his glasses off. You could tell it was somewhere in his brain… but he couldn’t quite get there. And then I realized—I was the first person to stump Stephen Colbert.”
While The Hunt for Gollum promises to be a major blockbuster, Shadow of the Past offers a more intimate, character-driven story. Boyd's return alongside Astin and Monaghan is sure to delight fans who've followed the hobbits' journey from the Shire to the Grey Havens. Colbert's deep knowledge of Tolkien lore should ensure the script honors the source material.
For now, Boyd remains a proud ambassador of the franchise, even if he's not chasing Gollum through the marshes. His excitement for both projects is infectious, and his story about stumping Colbert is a must-hear for any Tolkien fan. Stay tuned to ShowtimeSpot for more updates on The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum and Shadow of the Past.
