Gollum Hunt in Lord of the Rings Drops Dec 2027

Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema have confirmed The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will premiere in theaters on December 17, 2027.

This announcement pushes the release over two years from now and represents at least a year's delay from the original 2026 target, but Middle-earth enthusiasts are already planning their holiday movie outings for late 2027.

Andy Serkis, famous for directing Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, will helm the project. Fans will immediately recognize Serkis from his iconic motion-capture performances as Caesar in the Planet of the Apes trilogy and, most memorably, as Gollum himself in both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. The dual-threat filmmaker will both direct and reprise his legendary role.

While Serkis brings unparalleled expertise to Gollum's character, he'll collaborate with familiar faces from Middle-earth. The producing team includes Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Zane Weiner, with Walsh, Boyens, Phoebe Gittins, and Arty Papageorgiou handling screenplay duties.

Jackson previously hinted at the film's direction, promising deeper dives into unexplored backstories of fan-favorite characters. "We're particularly excited to uncover parts of Gollum's journey we couldn't previously explore," Jackson shared last year. "While we can't reveal specifics yet, we're committed to staying true to Tolkien's vision."

The Lord of the Rings Movies in Chronological Order

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Warner Bros.' expansion of Middle-earth lore may include returning characters beyond Gollum. Gandalf appears likely to make an appearance, with Boyens hinting to Empire about potential live-action appearances. Original actor Ian McKellen may potentially reprise his legendary role as the beloved wizard.

With three years until The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum arrives, fans can stay immersed in Middle-earth by following updates on Amazon Prime Video's The Rings of Power series, which secured a third season renewal earlier this year.