The Lord of the Rings: a new film, produced by Peter Jackson and centered on Gollum, announced for 2026

We already knew it: Warner Bros., which bets everything on its franchises, wishes to make new films based on the universe of Lord of the Rings imagined by JRR Tolkien. We now learn that while several are in development, the first should be released in theaters in 2026.

The return of the precious

This first film, currently titled The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum (which can be translated as “The Hunt for Gollum”) will feature and be directed by Andy Serkis, who has already lent his features to this character in the Peter Jackson saga.

The latter will also be associated with the project. According to the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Zaslav, reported by The Hollywood ReporterJackson and his writing partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens will be “involved at every step” of this film. Their deal with Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema expands on two new feature films, and Boyens and Walsh are attached to the screenplay for The Hunt for Gollum.

“It is an honor and privilege for us to return to Middle-earth with our friend and collaborator Andy Serkis, who still has a score to settle with Gollum!,” Jackson, Walsh and Boyens said in a statement.

“Yes, my precious. It is time to venture into the unknown once again with my dear friends, the incredible and incomparable protectors of Middle-earth, Peter, Fran and Philippa,” added Serkis.

Nothing specific has yet been announced regarding the story of this new film. It is, however, possible that this hunt for Gollum refers to a period mentioned in The Fellowship of the Ring during which Gandalf recruited Aragorn to get his hands on Gollum, in order to question him about the One Ring. This part of the lore of Lord of the Rings has already been the subject of a short film, also titled The Hunt for Gollumreleased in 2009.

A lucrative franchise

Whatever happens, Zaslav clarified that the frankness of Lord of the Rings remains a major asset in the Warner Bros. catalog, and one of the most popular sagas. Indeed, the trilogy of Lord of the Rings signed Peter Jackson brought in 3 billion dollars at the worldwide box office and that of Hobbit has accumulated similar revenues.

So if we can have reservations about the fact that these new films will deal with stories “which have not yet been told”the most discerning Tolkien fans should be reassured to know that Jackson and his acolytes will be at the helm, as they are committed to preserving the British author’s work.

While waiting to learn more about these new films, and about Gollum’s return to the big screen, another film linked to Tolkien’s universe is on the program. The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, an animated feature film by Kenji Kamiyama, is expected in theaters on December 11. Its story takes place 200 years before the events described in The Hobbit.

The trilogies of Lord of the Rings and Hobbit can be seen or rewatched on Prime Video. Note also that the series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Powerproduced for Amazon’s streaming service, is expected to return with its second season by the end of the year.