Peter Jackson’s return to Middle-earth just got the green light from the very top. During a recent financial call, Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav singled out The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum as one of the studio’s “big tentpoles,” right alongside Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Harry Potter. And while he didn’t spill a ton of new details, Zaslav made one thing very clear:
“We’ve got a great script on Lord of the Rings with Peter Jackson that we’re moving forward on and we’ll be giving you more detail on that.”
That script will bring us back to a fan-favorite character — and one of Jackson’s most iconic collaborations — with Andy Serkis set to direct and reprise his role as Gollum. As the title suggests, the story will explore what the slippery creature was up to in the years between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Warner Bros. has already confirmed The Hunt for Gollum is just the first of two new Middle-earth films from Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens.
What Can We Expect From ‘The Hunt for Gollum’?

Serkis recently revealed that while they’re “very early on in the process,” preparations are ramping up:
“We’ve been talking about the film over the course of the last year. We’re about to start a period of prep in the next few months or so. We will be shooting in the early to mid-part of next year, I guess, and then it’ll be as long as it takes to shoot… all ready for a December 2027 release.”
The acclaimed filmmaker also teased a tone that will feel familiar to fans of the original trilogy, but with deeper character exploration:
“I’m incredibly excited to… do something which is, I think, going to be surprising, and yet very much part of the lore and the feel of the trilogy… we’re investigating in greater depth the character formerly known as Smeagol, but mostly known as Gollum.”
Orlando Bloom has already said he’d be “very much” into returning as Legolas, though he admits the role would require some serious de-aging tech to match his look from The Fellowship of the Ring. Viggo Mortensen has also expressed interest in playing Aragorn again, and Sir Ian McKellen — now 86 — says he’d be open to reprising Gandalf “so long as age doesn’t catch up to me.” The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will release on December 17, 2027.