New ‘Lord of the Rings’ Movie in the Works Featuring Andy Serkis as Gollum

Now 10 years removed from the last installment in the franchise, Middle Earth is officially returning to the big screen. During a Warner Bros. Discovery earnings call on Thursday, May 9, CEO David Zaslav revealed that the studio is developing a new Lord of the Rings film, which will be titled The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, and is set to release in 2026. The next installment will reportedly be the first in a batch of new films, and Andy Serkis will return to reprise his role as Gollum and direct the film. Zaslav also confirmed that the legendary Peter Jackson, who has written and directed all six entries in the Lord of the Rings franchise to date, will produce and “be involved every step of the way.” His writing partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens will also produce and work with Jackson on the film.

When talking about the franchise as a whole, Zaslav said, “Lord of the Rings is one of the most successful and revered franchises in history and presents a significant opportunity for theatrical business.” The most recent outing for the franchise was Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, the Prime Video series created by Patrick McKay and John D. Payne, which received mostly positive reviews from critics and was divisive among fans. The series currently sits at an 83% critics score and a 38% audience score on the aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, and is one of the five most expensive TV shows ever made. Jackson was not involved with the creation of the series, which has already been renewed for second and third seasons.

It’s no surprise Warner Bros. is returning to TheLord of the Rings well once more, considering the franchise has found such strong box office success over the years. Each film in the original trilogy between 2001-2003 grossed over $300 million at the domestic box office, and the most of which, The Return of the King, went on to earn $763 million internationally to amass a worldwide total of more than $1.1 billion. The more recent trilogy, The Hobbit, also made waves at the box office, with each film grossing between $950 million and just over $1 billion at the worldwide box office. The franchise has proven itself to be a cash cow, and Warner Bros. is returning to the well to collect what’s sure to be another hefty check.

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will release in 2026. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates. The original trilogy is streaming on various platforms, including Hulu.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.

Release Date

December 19, 2001

Runtime

178 minutes

Watch on Hulu