The Hunt for Gollum is a fan film based on elements of J. R. R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings. The film is a prequel to the events of The Fellowship of the Ring, and is based on passages in the novel’s appendices. Its visual style is inspired by Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, but the production is completely unofficial and unauthorized by the Tolkien estate or New Line Cinema, which produced Jackson’s film trilogy. …
The Hunt for Gollum debuted at the Sci-Fi-London film festival and on the internet, free to view, on 3 May 2009.
Click PLAY or watch one of the trailers on Dailymotion.
As a fan film, The Hunt for Gollum exists in a legal grey area. …
It is unclear whether the production violates the rights held by the Tolkien estate and New Line films. Fred von Lohmann, director of the Electronic Freedom Foundation, told NPR that the high quality of the film and its global reach via the internet could potentially create legal issues. However, director Chris Bouchard told BBC News:
We got in touch with Tolkien Enterprises and reached an understanding with them that as long as we are completely non-profit then we’re okay. We have to be careful not to disrespect their ownership of the intellectual property. They are supportive of the way fans wish to express their enthusiasm.
Surprisingly good. I recommend it. It goes to show that amateurs can make quality cinema with only a few thousands dollars and volunteer labour.
Rick McCharles 