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Viewers waiting for Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will need to be patient as the film's release has been pushed back by a year. The movie was originally scheduled for December 2026 but is now expected to premiere in December 2027. Andy Serkis, the movie's director, confirmed the same during his appearance at Fan Expo Vancouver on February 23, 2025, as per The Direct.
“Yeah, it is not 2026. It was originally going to be December 2026. It is going to be December 2027,” he stated.
The delay stems from the film being in the early writing stages, with pre-production scheduled for later this year. Filming is expected to begin in 2026, backing into the December 2027 release window as per Men's Journal's February 27, 2025 report. The project, first announced in May 2024, will see Serkis return as Gollum while also directing the film, with Peter Jackson producing, as per Radio Times.
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Set before The Fellowship of the Ring, Lord of the Rings: Hunt for Gollum follows Aragorn's mission to track down Gollum under Gandalf's orders.
"Prep takes a good chunk of time, six or seven months, and then we will be shooting next year" — Serkis on Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum release delay
Andy Serkis has confirmed that Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is now set to arrive in December 2027 due to the extensive preparation required before production begins, as per The Direct. The delay marks the first major update on the film since its initial announcement in May 2024. The film is expected to be the first in a new series of Middle-earth movies under Warner Bros.
Reasons behind the delay of Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum
According to Serkis, Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is still in the early stages of development. The writing process has only just started, so the filmmakers need more time to complete the script before they can begin full-scale production, as per The Direct.
Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is a live-action project, so the delay allows enough time for pre-production tasks like location scouting and special effects planning to be finished before filming begins. He explained that preparation for Lord of the Rings: Hunt for Gollum alone will take around six to seven months before filming starts in 2026, aligning with the planned December 2027 release.
"We are right at the beginning of the writing process. We will be prepping later this year. Prep takes a good chunk of time, six or seven months, and then we will be shooting next year. So, it backs into that December 2027 release date," Andy Serkis said at the Fan Expo Vancouver 2025.
Production will take place in New Zealand since the country has long been associated with the Lord of the Rings franchise. According to Radio Times, Warner Bros. has confirmed that the film will introduce storylines that have not yet been told in J.R.R. Tolkien's universe.
What to expect from Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum
The film is set before The Fellowship of the Ring and follows Aragorn as he embarks on a mission to capture Gollum under Gandalf's orders, per the World of Reel report dated February 27, 2025. The story is inspired by brief mentions in Tolkien's appendices, which reference Aragorn's long search for the creature.
Although specific details have not been revealed, there is speculation that Lord of the Rings: Hunt for Gollum will expand on this passage by showing Aragorn's journey across Middle-earth as well as Gollum's struggles in the years before he was caught.
There are ongoing discussions about bringing back original cast members such as Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn, Ian McKellen as Gandalf, and Orlando Bloom as Legolas. Mortensen has expressed doubts about returning since a long time has passed since the original trilogy, as per a report by the World of Reel.
To address the actors' aging, the filmmakers are exploring artificial intelligence and digital de-aging technology, though they have not yet confirmed how these tools will be used, as per The Guardian.
Future expectations for Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum
Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum has been confirmed as a single film, but some unverified reports claim that the story might be expanded into two movies, as per The Guardian. Serkis, Jackson, and screenwriter Philippa Boyens are also developing another Lord of the Rings film that is separate from Hunt for Gollum, but no details have been shared about this project as per the World of Reel.
The delay has not lessened the excitement for Lord of the Rings: Hunt for Gollum since it will be the first major live-action addition to Middle-earth after The Hobbit trilogy. Fans who want more Lord of the Rings content can look forward to The Rings of Power on Amazon Prime Video as the series is set to continue with a third season.
Stay tuned for more updates for Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.
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