"The Hunt for Gollum Premieres December 2027"

Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema have officially set the premiere date for The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum for December 17, 2027, bringing fans closer to the much-anticipated tale of Sméagol. The announcement marks a delay of at least a year from the previously announced 2026 plan, but this hasn't dampened the excitement for fantasy enthusiasts already planning their Christmas celebrations around the movie's release.

The film is being helmed by Andy Serkis, renowned for directing Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle. Serkis is also celebrated for his iconic performances, notably as Caesar in the 2010 Planet of the Apes trilogy and as Gollum in both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies. Fans will be thrilled to know that Serkis will be involved both as director and actor in this new venture.

Serkis’s deep understanding of Gollum's psyche will be complemented by a team of Middle-earth veterans. Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Zane Weiner are all on board as producers, while the script is being penned by Walsh, Boyens, Phoebe Gittins, and Arty Papageorgiou. Last year, Jackson hinted at the film's direction, teasing that the movie would explore beloved characters’ pasts and delve into aspects of Gollum’s journey that were previously untold.

“We really want to explore \[Gollum’s\] backstory and delve into those parts of his journey we didn’t have time to cover in the earlier films,” Jackson stated. “It’s too soon to know who will cross his path, but suffice to say we will take our lead from \[original author J.R.R. Tolkien\].”

The Lord of the Rings Movies in (Chronological) Order

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As Warner Bros. ventures further into the future of The Lord of the Rings films, The Hunt for Gollum is poised to introduce fans to new narratives while likely featuring other returning characters. Gandalf, one name expected to appear, was mentioned by Boyens in an interview with Empire last October. She suggested that the wizard might feature in potentially two live-action films, and if all goes well, the legendary actor Ian McKellen could reprise his role.

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is scheduled to hit theaters three Decembers from now. While the wait may seem long, fans can stay engaged with the latest developments on Amazon Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which has been confirmed to return for Season 3 earlier this year.