Hollywood wants to return to Middle-earth with a new “Lord of the Rings” film. Warner Bros. Pictures has announced the project “Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum” with a planned theatrical release for 2026. British actor and director Andy Serkis (60), who played the character Gollum in previous “Lord of the Rings” and “Hobbit” episodes, is on board as the lead actor and director.
Andy Serkis invites ‘Lord of the Rings’ veterans for Gollum film
Gollum becomes a director! Andy Serkis, who also played the chimpanzee Caesar in the “Planet of the Apes” trilogy, made his directorial debut in 2018 with the romantic drama “As Long as I Breathe,” and then also worked on “Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle” and “Venom: Let There Be.” Carnage” behind the camera. Now he is returning to his roots in Middle-earth. With Peter Jackson, who directed the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, and his wife Fran Walsh as producers, Serkis is now making his very own “Lord of the Rings” film.
The fantasy saga “Lord of the Rings” by the British author JRR Tolkien was the basis for Peter Jackson’s three-part film adaptation: “The Fellowship of the Ring” (2001), “The Two Towers” (2002) and “The Return of the King” (2003). The films won many Oscars, with eleven awards going to “The Return of the King” alone.
Gollum even made it to Mauerpark in Berlin.Müller-Staufenberg/imago
Screenwriter Philippa Boyens is also said to be involved in the new film again. “It is an honor and a privilege to travel back to Middle-earth with our good friend and collaborator Andy Serkis, who still has a score to settle with the stinky Gollum,” the “Hollywood Reporter” quoted Jackson, Walsh and Boyens as saying. “As lifelong fans of Professor Tolkien’s vast mythology,” they are proud to be “working on another epic adventure.”
Gollum film joins the “Lord of the Rings” trend
A new film from the “Lord of the Rings” cosmos is coming to cinemas this year – the animated fantasy saga “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” is a so-called prequel, i.e. it tells the story of the saga . The film by Japanese anime director Kenji Kamiyama is scheduled to be released in December. “Rings of Power,” a series that tells the prequel to “Lord of the Rings,” is also running on Amazon Prime. ■