“I feel very lucky.” Arty Papageorgiou smiles immediately when asked about his involvement in the new “Lord of the Rings” movie, titled “The Hunt for Gollum,” which is set to premiere in theaters on December 17, 2027.
The screenwriter of Greek descent speaks to Kathimerini via Zoom from Wellington, New Zealand, where he lives.
“I couldn’t believe I would be working with people I admired when I was a kid,” he says, adding that he cannot reveal any plot or script details.
It all began a few years ago, during the pandemic, when there was a need for screenwriters for the animated film “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” and the producers got in touch with Papageorgiou and his partner, Phoebe Gittins.
With that collaboration, Papageorgiou officially entered the J.R.R. Tolkien universe and joined the core creative team behind several “Lord of the Rings”-related productions.
Papageorgiou, with roots in Ithaca and Evia, is one of the key members of the screenwriting team for the new film “The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.”
“At some point, discussions began about ‘The Hunt for Gollum.’ Director Andy Serkis and the rest of the team thought Phoebe and I would also be a good fit for this film, and that’s how we ended up writing the script,” Papageorgiou says.
In addition to directing, Serkis is expected to reprise his role as Gollum. Familiar faces from Peter Jackson’s Oscar-winning trilogy may also appear in the new movie, with Jackson himself returning as one of the producers.
Papageorgiou grew up in Wellington, one of the primary filming locations for both “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” trilogies.
“It was impossible not to be moved by the film production happening right next to us. These massive, spectacular films were being made in a small city like Wellington… I used to fall asleep at night looking at the hills, where I could see the lights from the sets. It was truly an exciting time,” he says.
According to Papageorgiou, his Greek grandmother, with her large comic book collection and love for TV shows, contributed greatly to his upbringing and passion for pop culture. His eventual turn toward storytelling and visual media felt like a natural evolution.
“I like to think my Greek DNA helped a bit. My father is from the island of Odysseus, as we know from Homer’s poem. We have such a rich history in drama and fiction that I feel there’s a genetic connection to storytelling,” he says.
Both sides of Papageorgiou’s family are Greek, and he was exposed to Greek culture from a young age.
“My grandfather spoke almost exclusively Greek and always listened to the news and music in Greek. I speak a little and understand more. It bothers me that I’m not more fluent – I’m a perfectionist – but I still listen to Greek music playlists and even have Greek cookbooks.”
As for his next steps after “The Hunt for Gollum,” the screenwriter reveals that he and Gittins have several projects in development. “To be honest, one or two of them are set in Greece.”
