THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM Will Arrive in Theaters December 2027
Get ready to return to the shadows of Middle-earth! Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema have officially announced that The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt For Gollum will hit theaters on December 17, 2027.
This new chapter marks a major reunion of the original trilogy’s creative dream team. Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens, the powerhouse trio behind both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, are back on board to produce not one, but two new films set in J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved world. They'll be joined by producer Zane Weiner, who also worked on The Hobbit films.
The first entry, Hunt for Gollum, brings Andy Serkis back into the spotlight, not only as the tortured creature Gollum, but also behind the camera as director.
The screenplay comes from a familiar and promising mix of writers that include Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, along with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou, who are helping breathe new life into the saga. As for the second film? No word yet on who’ll be directing, but that reveal is likely just over the horizon.
The film will be a standalone story, filmed in New Zealand, with Peter Jackson attached as executive producer. Boyens previously revealed details on the story and promised The Hunt For Gollum would be a gripping tale, saying:
“It’s quite an intense story, which falls after the birthday party of Bilbo and before the Mines Of Moria. It’s a specific chunk of incredible untold story, told through the perspective of this incredible creature.”
During another interview, Jackson also opened up about the story they are looking to tell offering some insight on why they wanted to tell this tragic story of Gollum.
Jackson explained: “The Gollum/Sméagol character has always fascinated me because Gollum reflects the worst of human nature, whilst his Sméagol side is, arguably, quite sympathetic.
“I think he connects with readers and film audiences alike, because there’s a little bit of both of them in all of us. We really want to explore his backstory and delve into those parts of his journey we didn’t have time to cover in the earlier films.
“It’s too soon to know who will cross his path, but suffice to say we will take our lead from Professor Tolkien.”
We also know that Ian McKellen’s Gandalf is set to play a role in the film. When asked about the story direction, Lord of the Rings Boyens hinted at the wizard’s involvement, saying, "We're playing around with a number of ideas, but most of those ideas do include Gandalf."
McKellen also talked about the project, saying: "Enthusiasm for The Lord of the Rings shows no sign of abating. I can’t tell you any more than that. I’ve just been told there are going to be more films and Gandalf will be involved and they hope that I’ll be playing him."
The actor added: "When? I don’t know. What the script is? It’s not written yet. So, they better be quick.” When asked previously asked if he's interested in returning to the role, he replied with a chuckle, "If I'm alive."
It's worth noting that Warner Bros. has been clear about their ambitions to further expand the Middle-earth universe. CEO David Zaslav previously said the studio was “committed to reinvesting in the Lord of the Rings franchise.”
What part of Gollum’s story are you most curious to see brought to the screen?