It’s time to pack your bags, because we are going on an adventure. Warner Bros. will be releasing the first film in its new batch of live-action The Lord of the Rings movies in 2026 focusing on a very familiar and sinister face… Gollum.
The brand new film, currently titled The Hunt For Gollum, will see Andy Serkis return to the iconic role. While Serkis will be busy running from Orcs and all sorts of trouble, he will also be stationed behind the camera as the Director of this project. On top of that, Peter Jackson, the man behind the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and his partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens are set to join as Producers. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said that all three “will be involved every step of the way.”
Currently, the film is in the early stages of development with a script being written by Walsh, Boyens, Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou. The Hunt For Gollum will be executive produced by Ken Kamins, with Serkis and The Imaginarium’s Jonathan Cavendish.
Andy Serkis took to Instagram to share the news.
“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,” Warner Bros’ Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy said in a statement.
“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 then added: “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! 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!”
Interestingly, The Hunt For Gollum is just a working title for the time being, so there’s a chance that this could change, but it does give us a slight clue as to what this project could focus on. Thanks to the Ring’s power, Gollum was granted a very long life and even with The Hobbit movies, we have only seen fragments. Perhaps this movie will look to expand on the troubled stinker.
What do you make of this news? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to keep your eyes peeled for more Precious news from Middle Earth.
