The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum has been pushed back, but this is a great sign for the overall franchise. This newest Middle-earth movie was initially meant to hit theaters in December 2026, but director Andy Serkis (who also plays Gollum in The Lord of the Rings) has revealed that Hunt for Gollum won’t release until 2027. Given the anticipation for another live-action addition to Peter Jackson’s take on Tolkien’s world, this is undoubtedly disappointing. However, if Warner Bros is taking its time, it should be worth the wait.
Serkis’ The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will be set just before the events of The Fellowship of the Ring, and will outline a story Gandalf told Frodo before sending him on his adventure with the One Ring in the books. The wizard explained that he had become suspicious about Bilbo’s ring after his 111th birthday, and therefore sent Aragorn to find and capture Gollum so he could be questioned about the trinket. At this same time, Sauron was on the hunt for Gollum as well in an effort to reclaim his One Ring. The Hunt for Gollum will bring this tale to the screen, but not for a while longer.
The Next Lord Of The Rings Movie’s Delay Is Disappointing, But It Means More Time To Get It Right
Warner Bros Is Willing To Take Its Time
When Serkis revealed that The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum‘s release window had been pushed back, he noted that the script was still in the very earliest stages of being written. For the movie to have release in 2026, Lord of the Rings screenwriters Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Phoebe Gittins, and Arty Papageorgiou would have needed to rush through the script so that production could begin on time, and this almost certainly would have meant something substandard. This live-action return to Middle-earth must be perfect, and the more time they have to make it happen, the better.
Warner Bros has other Lord of the Rings movies in the works, though details have not yet been revealed.
A great script is clearly key in a great movie, but there is further pressure on The Hunt for Gollum since Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy is known for its excellent writing. This iconic team will have to prove that there are more stories worth telling, and this is apparently key in getting original actors like Viggo Mortensen back on board for another movie. Boyens has revealed that the actor would only return to play Aragorn if the script was perfect, further proving how important it is that these screenwriters get it right. In a sense, this is the Lord of the Rings franchise’s most important script.
The Hunt For Gollum’s New Release Date Is Actually A Good Sign For The LOTR Franchise
This Franchise Needs To Be Handled With Care
The Lord of the Rings franchise got it right with Jackson’s original trilogy, but the road has been otherwise tumultuous. The Hobbit had many of the same creative names behind it, but something went wrong with this trilogy that will have to be avoided with The Hunt for Gollum. Similarly, Warner Bros and New Line Cinema’s recent animated Lord of the Rings movie, The War of the Rohirrim, failed to impress at the box office, only bringing in $20 million gross. There are plans for several more Lord of the Rings movies to arrive in the coming years, but this will depend on the next project being a hit.
There are plans for several more Lord of the Rings movies to arrive in the coming years, but this will depend on the next project being a hit.
The fact that Warner Bros is slowing things down and pushing off the original release window for The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum indicates that the risk isn’t lost on them. Serkis, Jackson, Boyens, and the rest surely recognize that a great deal is riding on this project, and it seems time is being taken to analyze what went wrong with recent adaptations. There is clearly great potential to continue the Lord of the Rings franchise, but Warner Bros can’t treat any installment as a shoo-in. Thankfully, it seems the upcoming movie is being treated with the appropriate amount of care.
