The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum may feature characters from the past of the franchise 

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, an upcoming film based on J.R.R. Tolkien's series, is set to be released in 2026 as part of a new set of live-action films in the Lord of the Rings universe. Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in the original trilogy, will be directing the film.

In a statement during the ACE Superhero Comic Con 2024, Andy Serkis said the following about the upcoming film:

"It’s going to very much be the world of Middle-earth according to Gollum’s experience of it. It is so early, it would be unfair to commit to anything at this point. But I will say that it will be a deep dive where we investigate Gollum’s character. There may be characters that we recognize that might be coming back. I’m not going to say who."

While details about the film are still kept under wraps, the return of characters from the original franchise has fans excited about Gollum's story. The film is going to explore parts of Gollum's story that could not be explored in the original trilogy, owing to its multiple plot lines.

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What we know about The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum

Gollum, portrayed by Andy Serkis, was a key character in the original trilogy, once a hobbit named Sméagol who represented human greed. The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum was announced by Warner Bros. on May 9, 2024, as part of new live-action films exploring J.R.R. Tolkien's world.

In 2023, Warner Bros. executives Michael DeLuca and Pamela Abdy signed a deal to create multiple Lord of the Rings films.

A Warner Bros. press statement in May 2024 revealed that the director of the original trilogy, Peter Jackson is going to produce The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum along with his partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. David Zaslav (the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery) also said the following during the press statement:

"With Andy coming aboard to direct ‘Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum,’ we continue an important commitment to excellence that is a true hallmark of how we all want to venture ahead and further contribute to the ‘Lord of the Rings’ cinematic history.”

Jackson, Boyens, and Walsh also added the following remarks to David Zaslav's statement:

"It is an honour and a privilege to travel back to Middle-earth with our good friend and collaborator, Andy Serkis, who has unfinished business with that Stinker — Gollum!"

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is still in its early stages as per David Zaslav. The script is still being developed as writers Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Phoebe Gittins, and Arty Papageorgiou are still exploring the storylines to portray.

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Stay tuned for more news and updates about The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.