Recently we brought you news of a planned short film, to be made in New Zealand, celebrating Tolkien fandom and the friendships found therein. Now we can share that you could be IN the movie!
Starring Bruce Hopkins (Gamling in The Lord of the Rings movies), the film will tell the tale of a father’s grief, and of the unexpected solace found in a community of fans. Exciting news for fans is that they hope to cast the four fan roles with actual fans from within the community – so this is YOUR chance to fly to New Zealand for a once in a lifetime opportunity to appear on film with Gamling himself!
The team behind ‘Society of the Lost and Found’, with lead actor Bruce Hopkins in the center
Supporting mental health
This powerful short film will be looking at the positive effect of community and shared passions on mental health, exploring themes of resilience, friendship, and hope. (The film makers are partnering with New Zealand’s Sir John Kirwan Foundation, which delivers evidence-based mental health education to New Zealand schools, ensuring that young people have the knowledge and tools they need to manage their wellbeing and face the challenges that life inevitably throws at them. Once the film is funded via Kickstarter, a share of any further funds raised will support this excellent foundation.)
Authenticity is key
Their desire to create a movie which accurately reflects the fandom has led to the film makers’ wish to cast from within that group. Director Pennie Hunt has said, ‘It’s essential for the story to cast all four fan roles from the Tolkien community – if possible. After all, this is what the film is all about – and why we want to make it.’ So they are putting out the call – and we’re boosting the signal! This is a genuine, real opportunity for you to fly to New Zealand and take part in a film – if the funding is successfully raised. Here’s what you need to know:
WORLDWIDE CASTING CALL –Tolkien Fans Wanted for New Zealand Short Film
Are you a Tolkien fan who has always dreamed of visiting New Zealand? Do you want to appear in a short film alongside Bruce Hopkins (Gamling in The Lord of the Rings)? We’re casting genuine Tolkien fans from around the world to appear in our upcoming New Zealand short film, Society of the Lost and Found, filming in the stunning location of Deer Park Heights, Queenstown where many of the scenes with the Rohan refugees were filmed.
SOCIETY OF THE LOST AND FOUND is a heartfelt story about finding connection in unexpected places. When a grieving father joins a Lord of the Rings location tour, he discovers friendship, healing, and hope among a passionate community of fans.
As part of the film, we are casting supporting roles and are seeking passionate members of the international Tolkien fandom to apply.
Applications close on Thursday, 2 July 2026 at 11.59pm New Zealand Standard Time.
✈️ WHAT WE OFFER
These are unpaid volunteer roles. For the selected participants, we will provide:
Travel reimbursement of up to NZD $3,000 per person to help cover transport to and from Queenstown
Accommodation during filming
Meals
Local transport
FILMING DATES
29 October (arrival) – 4 November (departure)
✨ WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR
People with a genuine connection to Tolkien’s stories and community. Some acting or on-camera experience is preferred, but enthusiasm and authenticity matter most.
The application form includes more details about the project and casting process. If you have any questions, please contact us on: wisesamgangees@gmail.com
Please note: The project will only go ahead if the current Kickstarter is successful and production costs are financed. If you’d like to help bring this film to life, you can support the campaign here. Please spread the word!
We can’t wait to meet fellow Tolkien fans from around the world and celebrate this incredible community together.
Disclaimer SOCIETY OF THE LOST AND FOUND is an independent original short film. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Middle-earth Enterprises, Warner Bros., or the Tolkien Estate.
What are you waiting for?? Apply now, share the campaign with your friends, and later this year you could find yourself filming at Lord of the Rings locations! Good luck!
You can find the ‘Society of the Lost and Found’ folks, and read more about the movie and the team behind it, on Instagram and Facebook
Every Tolkien fan knows how rich and beneficial a love for the Professor’s stories can be. Whether you enjoy escaping alone into Middle-earth through the words on the page, or your fandom has taken you to real life encounters with fellow fans, many of us would attest to the joy and comfort Tolkien’s work has brought to us. Here at TORn, where we are ‘Forged by and for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’, we’re particularly keen on bringing fans together, for moots of all shapes and sizes – be they virtual connections or ‘parties of special magnificence.’
So when we heard from film makers in New Zealand who want to create a short film celebrating friendships found through fandom, we were immediately intrigued. Add Bruce Hopkins (Gamling in The Lord of the Rings movies, and TORn’s good friend – MC of our ‘One Last Party’ back in 2015!) as the planned star of the movie, and our reaction was, ‘Tell us more!’
Writer and Director Pennie Hunt with lead actor Bruce Hopkins
Society of the Lost and Found – a film about comfort in community
To quote the producers of the film, ‘Society of the Lost and Found‘ is a short film about finding connection in the most unexpected places.’ The movie will be filmed in the landscapes around Queenstown, so familiar to fans of Peter Jackson’s movies. Hopkins will play the role of a grieving father, joining a Lord of the Rings location tour – where he unexpectedly finds connection and hope. The filmmakers are keen to explore ideas of outsiders finding community; of isolation, belonging, empathy, and connection through shared passion. They are also hoping that their film will speak to people who may be struggling with grief or mental health challenges.
But first – they need to raise funds! Though they have various seed funders and sponsors involved already, the producers are looking to raise the majority of the budget needed through crowdfunding. So this is YOUR chance to be part of New Zealand and Tolkien-inspired movie making! Check out the prelaunch page on Kickstarter, and sign up to be notified when their funding launches. We’re sure this is going to be a short film which will resonate, highlighting the things we all love about Tolkien fandom at its best. Add to that beautiful New Zealand scenery and a beloved Lord of the Rings actor, and you have a recipe for a fan favourite movie. Follow along and help it get made!
You can find the ‘Society of the Lost and Found’ folks, and read more about the movie and the team behind it, on Instagram and Facebook.
Actor Bruce Hopkins, who played Gamling in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy (and is a good friend to TORn), is 67 years young. To celebrate his recent birthday, he raised money for charity by doing something unusual: back flipping off a wharf, once for every year of his age.
Middle-earth fans will be aware of Hopkins’ drive and energy; back in 2017, he walked the 3000km Te Araroa trail, taking the ashes of his father and brother the length of New Zealand and back to their ancestral home, Stewart Island. That time, as with this latest endeavour, he was raising money for charity Grandparents Raising Grandchildren.
As a grandfather himself, Hopkins is an ardent supporter of the charity. He’s also a keen swimmer who has spent much of his life in the water – but never before had he endeavoured to do quite so many back flips. To challenge himself even further, one in every ten of the flips was taken from 4m (c. 12 foot) above the water!
The men of Rohan are hardy stock, and our Gamling came through unscathed – apart from some bruising to his shins. Happy birthday Bruce, and congratulations on raising funds for such a worthy cause.
It’s been almost a year since The One Last Party, but we haven’t forgotten it, and we didn’t want Peter Jackson to think we’d forgotten about him either. As you may remember, one of the promises we made on the Indiegogo campaign was that we would send Peter a “thank you” card. To be exact, we said, “Your name will go on an EPIC ‘thank you’ card we will present or send to Peter Jackson, from fans everywhere, to express our appreciation for the immense effort he and his cast and crew have put into the epic journey of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films.”
After the campaign ended, the TORn staff began brainstorming how to get all the names on one card – there were a lot of them! We decided to create a keepsake ‘Red Book’ for Peter. TORn staffer and designer, Mithril (Nancy Steinman), found a gorgeous leather journal and then designed and illustrated the interior pages and bound them into the book. Out of the 194 pages of the journal, 180 of them were the list of names!
Peter now has his journal, but we thought all of you deserved something to remember that fantastic night, too (besides your gift bags), so Mithril reached out with some questions to one of the party planners who was absolutely instrumental in making the party happen. Following is the interview with TORn Senior Staffer greendragon, and scroll down to see some photos of the journal and the party.
Feel like taking a 15 day journey through Middle-earth with the former commander of the armies of Rohan? Well now you can 🙂 Bruce is leading tours of Middle-earth for a local tour company, you can check out all the details on his Facebook page.
Feel like taking a 15 day journey through Middle-earth with the former commander of the armies of Rohan? Well now you can 🙂 Bruce is leading tours of Middle-earth for a local tour company, you can check out all the details on his