Stop the presses: The Hunt for Gollum, a new Lord of the Rings movie, is set for a 2026 release
Grab your elven cloaks, all the Lambas bread you can find, and keep the Precious hidden, because the news is just too good: Warner Bros. is bringing us back to Middle-earth with a brand spanking new movie in the The Lord of the Rings universe titled The Hunt for Gollum. It's slated for release in 2026.
The news came early this morning from Variety. The legendary Peter Jackson, who directed The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy from the early 2000s, is producing the movie along with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. And guess who’s at the helm? None other than Andy Serkis himself, who played Gollum in both Jackson's original trilogy and 2013's The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens are promising to be involved every step of the way. Provided we don't get served with the CGI fest that was The Hobbit trilogy, we should be in for that authentic Middle-earth vibe. The Hunt for Golum is still in the scriptwriting phase, but it's set to explore new storylines, diving into the untold adventures of Gollum. I mean, how much more precious can this get?
The Hunt for Gollum isn't the only Lord of the Rings movie on its way
Back in February 2023, Warner Bros. had already made public plans for new studio leaders Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy to make “multiple” films based on J.R.R. Tolkien stories and books. An animated movie called The War of the Rohirrim is already on the way. With Prime Video's Rings of Power TV series also returning for its second season later this year, it seems to me that The Lord of the Rings is still very much relevant and adaptable. I'm just hoping the story in The Hunt for Gollum is a bit more cohesive than in The Rings of Power, and that bringing Gollum out as the main character or point of focus will erase last year's bummer video game The Lord of the Rings: Gollum by Daedalic Entertainment. I hope it erases it from my memory as well, honestly.
Jackson's original Lord of the Rings trilogy holds a special place in the hearts of many, including me. It was the catalyst for me getting immersed in all of Tolkien's works, and inspired me to write. Let's hope for more news on this movie and start the countdown because this journey back to Middle-earth is going to be one for the history books. 2026 can’t come soon enough!
Next. Adaptions Instead of LOTR Movies. Book adaptations we want instead of more LOTR movies. dark
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