4 Ways Gollum Shaped the Fate of Middle-earth - Main Image
Love or hate him, the sly and selfish Gollum, is an invaluable character in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Before seeing more of his adventures in The Hunt for Gollum in 2026, let’s look at how he impacted Middle-earth lore and set some key events in motion.
As the Keeper of the Ring
After falling to the power of the One Ring, the hobbit Sméagol becomes Gollum, keeping his “Precious” hidden for almost half a century in the Misty Mountains.
While his only intent was to hang on to the Ring for as long as he could, Gollum had unintentionally protected Middle-earth from the rise of other evil forces since Sauron was still too weak to take the Ring back. Having a will of its own, the Ring could have easily corrupted countless individuals if it were located above ground.
Love or hate him, the sly and selfish Gollum, is an invaluable character in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Before seeing more of his adventures in The Hunt for Gollum in 2026, let’s look at how he impacted Middle-earth lore and set some key events in motion.
As the Keeper of the Ring
After falling to the power of the One Ring, the hobbit Sméagol becomes Gollum, keeping his “Precious” hidden for almost half a century in the Misty Mountains.
While his only intent was to hang on to the Ring for as long as he could, Gollum had unintentionally protected Middle-earth from the rise of other evil forces since Sauron was still too weak to take the Ring back. Having a will of its own, the Ring could have easily corrupted countless individuals if it were located above ground.
- 5/28/2024
- EpicStream
In J.R.R. Tolkien's 1937 adventure novel "The Hobbit, or There and Back Again," Bilbo Baggins and his merry band of stern dwarf friends are apprehended by a marauding group of wicked goblins and dragged into their dank underground lair. The lead dwarf, Thorin Oakenshield, is targeted as a particular threat by the Goblin King as he is carrying a unique sword called Orcrist, the Goblin-Cleaver. Orcrist, according to Tolkien's lore, was forged millennia ago by expert elf swordsmiths, and passed down through generations. It is a magic sword that glows when orcs are nearby, warning its wielder of danger. Later in "The Hobbit," Thorin would lose Orcrist when he was captured by the Wood-elves of Mirkwood -- though it was eventually returned to him.
In Peter Jackson's three "Hobbit" film adaptations -- "An Unexpected Journey" (2012), "The Desolation of Smaug" (2013), and "The Battle of the Five Armies" (2014) -- Thorin was played by Richard Armitage,...
In Peter Jackson's three "Hobbit" film adaptations -- "An Unexpected Journey" (2012), "The Desolation of Smaug" (2013), and "The Battle of the Five Armies" (2014) -- Thorin was played by Richard Armitage,...
- 5/24/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
My Precious: 5 Iconic Gollum Moments in Middle-earth Movies - Main Image
With a new Gollum spinoff movie confirmed in the works, let’s look at some of his most unforgettable appearances in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings movies.
The rise of Gollum: His first kill
On the birthday of hobbit Sméagol, he and his cousin Déagol went fishing when the latter found the One Ring underwater. Each wanting the gold for themselves, the hobbits fight until Sméagol chokes Déagol to death, claiming the Ring as “my precious.”
Here, we saw how the Ring, having a will of its own, seemingly calls Sméagol and immediately corrupts him, trapping him as Gollum in a deformed body and mind.
Related: The Lord of the Rings: What Does the Ring Do?
Riddles in the dark
In The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, when Bilbo Baggins gets lost deep in the Misty Mountains,...
With a new Gollum spinoff movie confirmed in the works, let’s look at some of his most unforgettable appearances in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings movies.
The rise of Gollum: His first kill
On the birthday of hobbit Sméagol, he and his cousin Déagol went fishing when the latter found the One Ring underwater. Each wanting the gold for themselves, the hobbits fight until Sméagol chokes Déagol to death, claiming the Ring as “my precious.”
Here, we saw how the Ring, having a will of its own, seemingly calls Sméagol and immediately corrupts him, trapping him as Gollum in a deformed body and mind.
Related: The Lord of the Rings: What Does the Ring Do?
Riddles in the dark
In The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, when Bilbo Baggins gets lost deep in the Misty Mountains,...
- 5/20/2024
- EpicStream
Exclusive: Since Warner Bros acquired rights to make more Middle-earth films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s works and the canon established by New Line’s original trilogy, Peter Jackson and his Lord of the Rings cohorts Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens hovered over the proceedings for a long time, as they mulled how to return, and much to involve themselves into another deep dive into Tolkien mythology.
As a business proposition, the allure is easy to understand: the two trilogies – the six Lotr and The Hobbit films — generated nearly $6 billion in worldwide grosses and enough Oscar gold to fill the lair of the dragon Smaug from 2012’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
Go back 23 years, and the road was far more perilous when New Line founder Bob Shaye greenlit three Lotr movies that Jackson shot one after the other in New Zealand. One of the biggest gambles in film history,...
As a business proposition, the allure is easy to understand: the two trilogies – the six Lotr and The Hobbit films — generated nearly $6 billion in worldwide grosses and enough Oscar gold to fill the lair of the dragon Smaug from 2012’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
Go back 23 years, and the road was far more perilous when New Line founder Bob Shaye greenlit three Lotr movies that Jackson shot one after the other in New Zealand. One of the biggest gambles in film history,...
- 5/15/2024
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
7 Sexiest Characters in The Hobbit Trilogy - Main Image
When you hear The Hobbit, you probably think of epic quests, magical creatures, and brave warriors in the Middle Earth. But if you look a little closer, you'll find a surprising charm and charisma among the characters—accents and all.
In this list, we will rank the characters from The Hobbit Trilogy—yes, the characters, not the humans who play them. This is our “hear me out” moment, and by the end of this list, you will agree (or not).
Here's our list of the top 6 sexiest characters from The Hobbit Trilogy.
7. Bilbo Baggins
This hobbit has quiet courage and an endearing earnestness. Bilbo's intelligence, wit, and resilience make him more than just the "burglar" of the group. His unexpected bravery in the face of danger and his compassion for others make him incredibly appealing.
And let's not forget his...
When you hear The Hobbit, you probably think of epic quests, magical creatures, and brave warriors in the Middle Earth. But if you look a little closer, you'll find a surprising charm and charisma among the characters—accents and all.
In this list, we will rank the characters from The Hobbit Trilogy—yes, the characters, not the humans who play them. This is our “hear me out” moment, and by the end of this list, you will agree (or not).
Here's our list of the top 6 sexiest characters from The Hobbit Trilogy.
7. Bilbo Baggins
This hobbit has quiet courage and an endearing earnestness. Bilbo's intelligence, wit, and resilience make him more than just the "burglar" of the group. His unexpected bravery in the face of danger and his compassion for others make him incredibly appealing.
And let's not forget his...
- 5/3/2024
- EpicStream
Actor Martin Freeman is known for his work on shows such as Sherlock and the first season of Fargo. He is also known for playing Everett K. Ross in the MCU, making appearances in Black Panther and Captain America: Civil War, and also playing the role of Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy.
Freeman recently came under fire for his latest film Miller’s Girl which sees him play a creative writing teacher who has an affair with his eighteen-year-old student played by Jenna Ortega. Many criticized the age gap between the actors and the intimate scenes present in the film. Freeman defended the film by invoking Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List.
Martin Freeman Defended Miller’s Girl Age Gap Controversy With Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List Martin Freeman in a pivotal scene in Miller’s Girl
The Martin Freman starrer Miller’s Girl was reportedly among 2016’s blacklist screenplays.
Freeman recently came under fire for his latest film Miller’s Girl which sees him play a creative writing teacher who has an affair with his eighteen-year-old student played by Jenna Ortega. Many criticized the age gap between the actors and the intimate scenes present in the film. Freeman defended the film by invoking Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List.
Martin Freeman Defended Miller’s Girl Age Gap Controversy With Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List Martin Freeman in a pivotal scene in Miller’s Girl
The Martin Freman starrer Miller’s Girl was reportedly among 2016’s blacklist screenplays.
- 4/30/2024
- by Nishanth A
- FandomWire
2023 featured several terrific horror movies, but "Skinamarink," Kyle Edward Ball's ultra-low budget indie that took the horror world by storm early in the year, was the most unconventional. Set in a suburban home in which the doors and windows suddenly vanish, the story (such as it is) focuses on two young children who are trapped in the house with a mysterious evil entity. The camera, often using locked-off shots, lingers on toys strewn about the floor, or light from the television set illuminating an otherwise darkened room. Characters speak in whispers when they speak at all. The movie is less concerned with plot than with capturing a very specific feeling: The lack of control audiences likely felt when they were young. Its glacial pace and lack of conventional structure turned off some audiences (myself included), but deeply impacted others who were slowly drawn in by the patient filmmaking and...
- 1/18/2024
- by Ben Pearson
- Slash Film
This year marks the 20th anniversary of The Return of the King, the final part of the Academy Award-winning The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Adapted from celebrated author J.R.R. Tolkien’s high fantasy novels of the same name, these films more than just introduced the iconic realm of Middle-earth to millions of fans around the world; they became legends in their own right. So much so, The Lord of the Rings has become a holiday staple celebrated by millions around the globe.
Indeed, despite being set in a world without the usual Yuletide trappings, this trilogy has quietly become something of a Christmas tradition, and an annual viewing appointment every December. Here’s how the films’ surprise connection with the holiday season began, why they’re so perfectly suited for the festive start of winter, and how The Hobbit trilogy only strengthened the association a decade later.
An Annual...
Indeed, despite being set in a world without the usual Yuletide trappings, this trilogy has quietly become something of a Christmas tradition, and an annual viewing appointment every December. Here’s how the films’ surprise connection with the holiday season began, why they’re so perfectly suited for the festive start of winter, and how The Hobbit trilogy only strengthened the association a decade later.
An Annual...
- 12/20/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
At last count, there have been nine studio-sanctioned feature films to have been adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy novels.
"The Hobbit," the first book in the series, was published in 1937, while a follow-up trilogy called "Lord of the Rings" was published in 1954 and 1955. Tolkien was both a linguist and a pacifist, so the books tended to lean toward elaborately constructed fantasy languages as well as antiwar themes. The mythology of Middle-earth was so vast and complex, Tolkien also wrote a book called "The Silmarillion" in which deep-cut details from within the "Rings" universe were laid out in excruciating, mythological detail.
For many years, multiple filmmakers and producers attempted to adapt the first book, "The Hobbit" to film. According to Brian J. Robb's and Paul Simpson's 2013 book "Middle-earth Envisioned: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings: On Screen, On Stage, and Beyond," Walt Disney had considered...
"The Hobbit," the first book in the series, was published in 1937, while a follow-up trilogy called "Lord of the Rings" was published in 1954 and 1955. Tolkien was both a linguist and a pacifist, so the books tended to lean toward elaborately constructed fantasy languages as well as antiwar themes. The mythology of Middle-earth was so vast and complex, Tolkien also wrote a book called "The Silmarillion" in which deep-cut details from within the "Rings" universe were laid out in excruciating, mythological detail.
For many years, multiple filmmakers and producers attempted to adapt the first book, "The Hobbit" to film. According to Brian J. Robb's and Paul Simpson's 2013 book "Middle-earth Envisioned: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings: On Screen, On Stage, and Beyond," Walt Disney had considered...
- 9/23/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Peter Jackson‘s The Hobbit trilogy is a spinoff to his Oscar-winning trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. The plot focuses on Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), a hobbit who is enlisted by wizard Gandalf to help dwarves reclaim their homeland, Erebor, from the dragon Smaug. While the story of The Hobbit precedes that of The Lord of the Rings, Jackson includes key Lotr characters in each installment of the trilogy. These characters, such as Legolas, Galadriel, and Gandalf, add depth and familiarity to the story, creating a seamless bridge between the two trilogies. Despite criticism over the pacing and addition of...
- 9/1/2023
- by Matthew C. F
- TVovermind.com
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