Over two decades after Frodo destroyed the Ring and defeated Dark Lord Sauron, the journey to Middle-earth will continue in a new batch of The Lord of the Rings movies. Warner Bros. has officially announced another set of films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy novels of the same title. First on the list is Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. Set to release in 2026, it will see the return of Andy Serkis in his iconic role and Peter Jackson as the producer.
Aside from taking the lead, Serkis will also direct the upcoming The Hunt for Gollum, while the original The Lord of the Rings trilogy filmmaker will work alongside his writing partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens to produce the film. During an earnings call Thursday, Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav said (via Variety) that Jackson and his fellow producers, who were also behind The Hobbit trilogy, would be involved in this new project “every step of the way.”
Details about the movie remain scarce, but Zaslav revealed it would “explore storylines yet to be told.” The script is now in the early stages of development, with Walsh, Boyens, Phoebe Gittins, and Arty Papageorgiou working together. Serkis, Ken Kamins, and The Imaginarium’s Jonathan Cavendish are also set as executive producers.
In a statement, Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens said it was an honor and a privilege to return to Middle-earth with Serkis, who still had unfinished business with Gollum. They, too, dubbed themselves as “lifelong fans’ of Tolkien’s vast mythology, making them proud to work with Warner Bros. for another epic adventure.
“Yesssss, Precious,” Serkis added, quoting the iconic line of his character as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings.
As they would travel to the unknown again, he expressed his excitement about working with his “dear friends.” He also called Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens “the extraordinary and incomparable guardians of Middle-earth.”
“With Mike [De Luca] and Pam [Abdy], and the Warner Bros team on the quest as well, alongside WETA and our filmmaking family in New Zealand, it’s just all too delicious,” he continued.
Will there be more The Lord of the Rings movies?
Back in February, Zaslav revealed that the newly-installed Warner Bros. leader De Luca and Abdy had made a deal to create “multiple” films based on The Lord of the Rings. These movies would be developed through the WB label New Line Cinema. Though no filmmakers had been attached to these projects back then, Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens claimed that the studio had kept them “in the loop.”
More than a year later, De Luca and Abdy felt honored to have these creative geniuses back and agreed to be their partners in making two new The Lord of the Rings films. And with Serkis aboard, they were confident they could continue this franchise's legacy.
For starters, Jackson helmed the original The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-2003), widely regarded as the greatest and most influential film series ever made. It grossed almost $3 billion worldwide and remained one of the highest-grossing film series of all time.
With the original trilogy's success, there are high expectations surrounding The Hunt for Gollum. But with Serkis and Jackson in the lead, alongside other great minds behind The Lord of the Rings, fans can be assured that this will be a good one.
