It’s been 22 long years since the release of the Oscar-winning The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King and 11 years since the release of The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. Yet in the decades since the release of these respective films, dedicated fantasy fans remain hopeful about one day seeing another entry in The Lord of the Rings series.
Fortunately, that long-awaited dream is soon to be a reality.
According to Variety, Warner Bros. has set a release date of December 2027 for The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. The film had previously been delayed from its 2026 release date, but this recent announcement from the studio is sure to leave lifelong LOTR fans jumping for joy.
Unlike The Lord of the Rings trilogy or The Hobbit films, The Hunt for Gollum likely won’t be based on a full-scale novel or story from series author J.R.R. Tolkien. Rather, it’s more likely to be based more heavily on Tolkien’s Appendices throughout The Lord of the Rings books, many of which provide additional information about some of the series’ many characters, settings and canonical history.
As the title suggests, the film will act as a prequel to the original LOTR trilogy, specifically following the former Hobbit turned malevolent creature, Gollum (also known by his original name, Sméagol). In the films, Gollum appears as a tragic antagonist pining after the One Ring of Power, crossing paths with Frodo and Sam on their quest to Mount Doom.
Andy Serkis, the celebrated actor who provided motion capture for the character, will once again portray Gollum for the upcoming film. Interestingly, Serkis — who’s also known for his roles in King Kong, Batman, and the rebooted Planet of the Apes series — will also act as the movie’s director, taking over production duties from original LOTR and Hobbit filmmaker, Peter Jackson.
