New Lord of the Rings Film to Focus on Gollum Coming in 2026

Warner Bros. will release the first of its new batch of live-action The Lord of the Rings films in 2026, which will focus on Andy Serkis’ Gollum.

Original The Lord of the Rings trilogy filmmaker Peter Jackson and his partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens are producing the movie and will be involved every step of the way, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said during an earnings call Thursday.

The project is currently in the early stages of script development from writers Walsh and Boyens, along with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou, and will explore storylines yet to be told, Zaslav mentioned. In a press release from Warner Bros. later Thursday morning, the studio revealed that the working title for the film is Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, and it will be directed by and star Serkis in his iconic titular role. The film will be executive produced by Ken Kamins, with Serkis and The Imaginarium’s Jonathan Cavendish.

It is an honor 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!, Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens said.

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…, Serkis added.

The original The Lord of the Rings trilogy helmed by Jackson grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide; Jackson’s follow-up trilogy based on Tolkien’s The Hobbit matched those grosses. Jackson’s first LOTR trilogy starred Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, and Cate Blanchett. That trio of films was nominated for 30 Academy Awards and took home 17 trophies including Best Picture for 2003’s The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. This achievement underscores Jackson’s significant role in cinematic history.

Zaslav emphasized: 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… We are honored they have agreed to 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….

This collaborative effort between longtime partners is set to strengthen their celebrated legacy. With an exciting mix of returning talent and new voices like Gittins and Papageorgiou in script development, expectations are undoubtedly high. It’s indeed a revelatory moment for fans eagerly awaiting to return to Middle-earth.