Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema have officially announced their return to Middle-earth.
Entitled The Hunt for Gollum, the new film is the first of two projects in development by the original creative team behind The Lord of the Rings—Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens. Set over the 17 years between Bilbo’s birthday party and Frodo’s leaving with the Ring, the tale will explore a previously unseen chapter in Tolkien’s world. It may also take ideas from events between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring, and possibly even take inspiration from The Return of the King.
This is a remarkably accurate, previously untold chapter of an extraordinary story, from the perspective of one of its most amazing characters,” said screenwriter Philippa Boyens, who will come back as a producer and writer.
Andy Serkis, who won fame for his Gollum act in the initial trilogy, is all set to direct the film. Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou are penning the script. The Hunt for Gollum will hit theaters on April 17, 2027.
More Films Coming
Warner Bros. and New Line are also rebooting the Evil Dead franchise. The sequel, a follow-up of Evil Dead Rise, will be handled by French director Sébastien Vanicek and is due to release in July next year.
Vanicek describes why he was drawn to the project: Evil Dead is “a creative playground a bold, experimental lab for filmmakers who want to immerse themselves in something raw, brutal, and unapologetically transgressive.”.
