Back in March, we got word that a new The Lord of the Rings movie titled The Hunt for Gollum is 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 trilogy.
Jackson and his writing partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens are also set to return as producers, and “will be involved every step of the way” according to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav.
More recently, comments from Sir Ian McKellen seemed to suggest that the movie would be split into two parts, which Boyens has now debunked. However, a second film is in the works, which will most likely focus on Gandalf.
“I can tell you definitively it isn’t two films!” Boyens tells Empire. “That was a genuine misunderstanding that happened because we’ve begun to work, conceptually, on two different live-action films. The first being The Hunt For Gollum, the second one still to be confirmed.”
Boyens went on to reveal exactly when The Hunt for Gollum takes place in the timeline.
“It’s quite an intense story, which falls after the birthday party of Bilbo and before the Mines Of Moria,” she explains. “It’s a specific chunk of incredible untold story, told through the perspective of this incredible creature.”
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.
McKellen has confirmed that he's had talks about potentially returning as the Grey Pilgrim, but we have no idea if Viggo Mortensen will be back as Aragorn.
“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.”