Last March, we got word that a new The Lord of the Rings movie titled The Hunt for Gollum was set to hit theaters in 2026, with Andy Serkis on board to direct and reprise the title role of Sméagol after first bringing the iconic character to life in Peter Jackson's acclaimed trilogy.
The project was later hit with a significant delay (that original date always seemed like a long shot), and Warner Bros. has now announced that the next live-action LOTR film will be with us on December 17, 2027.
Jackson and his writing partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens are set to return as producers, and “will be involved every step of the way,” according to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav.
Boyens recently confirmed that the story will be set "after the birthday party of Bilbo and before the Mines Of Moria.”
This time period is mentioned in both Tolkien's novels and Jackson's films, with Gandalf and Aragorn attempting to track Gollum down before he falls into Sauron's hands. In the movies, the wizard says he "searched everywhere for the creature Gollum," but "the Dark Lord found him first." In the books, Aragorn reveals that he did manage to capture Smeagol ("he bit me... and I was not gentle") near the Dead Marshes, but wasn't able to get any information out of him.
This would suggest that Strider will have a fairly prominent role in the film, which Boyens recently confirmed during an interview with The Playlist. As for Viggo Mortensen's potential involvement, it sounds like the ball is completely in the actor's court.
“Honestly, that’s entirely going to be up to Viggo, collaboratively and we are at a very early stage,” she said. “I’ve spoken to Viggo, Andy [Serkis] has spoken to him, Peter [Jackson] has spoken to him, we’ve all spoken to each other and honestly, I cannot imagine anyone else playing Aragorn, but it will be completely and entirely up to Viggo.”
If Mortensen does decide to reprise the role, he will obviously need to be digitally de-aged, but Boyens says that A.I. would not be utilized to make the actor look younger.
“I know Andy wants to work with him, but also, we don’t see this as like, using A.I. [technology], this is about a digital make-up, and whether Viggo does it or will entirely depends on how good the script is,” Boyens continued. “And he doesn’t have a script yet. So to be fair to Viggo, let’s see if we write a good enough role and that he can find enough in it to see that it’s a performance he wants to take on. After that, it’ll be between Viggo and Andy of how that is achieved.”
As for Sir Ian McKellen, the legendary actor has hinted that he might be set to return as Gandalf, but made it clear that nothing was set in stone during a 2024 interview.
"I haven’t shaved in months. But there is no script, there is no offer, there is no plan.”
Would you like to see Mortensen and McKellen back as their respective characters, or would you prefer if younger actors took over?
“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!,” Jackson, Boyens and Walsh said in a statement when the film was announced. “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!”
“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,” added Serkis. “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…”.
“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 honors his literary vision,” WBD film chiefs Pam Abdy and Michael De Luca added. “We are honored 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(*WT), 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.”