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, he finds the One Ring, changing bearers after almost 500 years.
To escape the cave, Bilbo engages Gollum in a battle of wits, ending the back-and-forth with a stumping “What have I got in my pocket?” Finally realizing what he has lost, Gollum chases after Bilbo while branding the Bagginses as a thief: “Curse it and crush it! We hates it forever!"
Related: The Hobbit: Five Key Differences Between the Book and the Movies
Sméagol drives Gollum away
Fast forward to the events of The Two Towers, the creature meets another Baggins, Frodo. He becomes more determined than ever to see through the destruction of the Ring, after seeing in Gollum a cautionary tale of its maddening effects.
However, Gollum’s encounter with the kind-hearted hobbit brings out the Sméagol in him, with the latter declaring Frodo his friend and even attempting to drive the bad Gollum away.
Andy Serkis' portrayal of Gollum and Sméagol in this scene is considered a masterclass in acting in performance capture, making it to Rotten Tomatoes’ 21 Most Memorable Movie Moments.
Related: Andy Serkis Recalls How He Was Nearly Talked Out of Gollum Role in LOTR
Fish and taters
With limited meal choices in his centuries of isolation, Gollum’s relationship with food as shown in the movies is sometimes comedic, endearing his naive, crazy side to audiences. A memorable scene is a conversation with Samwise Gamgee over raw food and a certain tuber.
In another scene, Gollum even creates a song for his beloved raw fish before getting "tricked" by Frodo.
Related: 5 Ways the Ranger Could Play a Key Role in The Hunt for Gollum
Gollum reunites with his Precious
We all know how it ends: Sauron is vanquished, Aragorn reclaims Gondor as the rightful heir, and the hobbits return to Shire. All of these would not have been possible without Gollum.
Gollum’s end is a callback to how it all started. A hobbit claims the Ring for himself, and a frenzied struggle for ownership follows, ending with an extraordinary measure to take the Ring (this time, Gollum bites off said hobbit’s finger). As it is, this victory did not last for long.
The Lord of The Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is set for a 2026 release. In the meantime, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings movie trilogies are available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Max.
Read more: Will There Be More Lord of the Rings Movies?