Plans for multiple Lord of the Rings movies have been in the works for the last year and it’s about time given over a decade has passed since The Hobbit trilogy. Aside from the anime Lord of the Rings: War of Rohirrim due this Christmas, fans are hankering for more live-action adventures outside of Prime’s prequel TV series.
Today Warner Bros announced that Peter Jackson is returning to produce two, with the first set for release in 2026. Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will see Andy Serkis reprise his motion-capture role from the original trilogy and also take up the director’s chair.
The upcoming Middle-earth adventure is in the early stage of script development and will “explore storylines yet to be told”, according to Warner Bros CEO David Zaslav.
Given Gollum died in The Return of the King and he’d been alive for hundreds of years prior, presumably the movie will be a prequel set decades before The Lord of the Rings. Perhaps the plot will even focus on Mordor capturing and torturing him over the whereabouts of the One Ring, as briefly depicted in the opening of The Fellowship of the Ring?
Warner Bros studio bosses Mike De Luca and Pam Andy, who secured a deal to make multiple movies based on JRR Tolkien’s books, said: “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 honours his literary vision.
“We are honoured 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 and fellow returning producers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens 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!”
Gollum star and director Serkis himself said: “Yesssss, Precious. 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 filmmaking family in New Zealand, it’s just all too delicious…”
Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum hits cinemas in 2026.
