A New Lord of The Rings Film Is in the Works
Warner Bros. is developing a new installment of The Lord of the Rings. Titled The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, the film has an expected release date of 2026.
The motion picture studio is creating two new The Lord of the Rings projects, with The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum being the first set to release. The film is currently in pre-production with the script in early development. Writers Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Phoebe Gittins, and Arty Papageorgiou will “explore storylines yet to be told,” according to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav.
new lotr movie i'm seated.
— lia durin (@bunnylouist91) May 9, 2024
i know that it won't top THE TRILOGY but idc because middle-earth is back y'all !! pic.twitter.com/xHTo6o1F0f
Gollum voice actor Andy Serkis directs and stars in the new production. In addition to Serkis, Ken Kamins and Jonathan Cavendish will executive produce. Furthermore, the creator of the original trilogy, Peter Jackson, produces alongside his partners Walsh and Boyens. In his statement, Zaslav assures fans Jackson and crew “will be involved every step of the way.”
a new peter jackson LOTR??? there IS reason to live pic.twitter.com/pYJuE6f0LD
— gabby (@gabzz666) May 9, 2024
The plot of the film focuses on Serkis’s iconic character. Warner Bros. revealed back in February 2023 that its studio leaders, Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, made a deal to develop multiple films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s original novels.
About the new project, the pair states, “For over two decades, moviegoers have embraced the ‘Lord of the Rings’ film trilogy because of the undeniable devotion Peter, Fran and Philippa have shown towards protecting the legacy of Tolkien’s works, and to ensure audiences could experience the incredible world he created in a way that honors his literary vision.”
They continue, “We are honored they have agreed be our partners on these two new films. With Andy coming aboard to direct ‘Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum,’ we continue an important commitment to excellence that is a true hallmark of how we all want to venture ahead and further contribute to the ‘Lord of the Rings’ cinematic history.”
Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens further add, “It is an honour and a privilege to travel back to Middle-earth with our good friend and collaborator, Andy Serkis, who has unfinished business with that Stinker — Gollum!” Regarding working with the new studio leaders, the trio shares, “As life long fans of Professor Tolkien’s vast mythology, we are proud to be working with Mike De Luca, Pam Abdy and the entire team at Warner Bros. on another epic adventure!”
Serkis chimes in on the new project as well, declaring, “Yesssss, Precious.” The star expresses, “The time has come once more to venture into the unknown with my dear friends, the extraordinary and incomparable guardians of Middle Earth Peter, Fran and Philippa. With Mike and Pam, and the Warner Bros team on the quest as well, alongside WETA and our film making family in New Zealand, it’s just all too delicious…”
The director also shared a photo on his Instagram celebrating the new project. In it, viewers see Serkis posing alongside his character, Gollum. The caption reads, “We is baaaaak, Precious!”
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is projected to release in theaters in 2026. Until then, fans of the franchise can stream the original trilogy on Max.
