Andy Serkis Directing New Lord of the Rings Movie Starring Gollum

Andy Serkis is returning to Middle-earth to direct the newest Lord of the Rings movie. The prolific filmmaker is widely known for his motion-capture work in bringing Gollum to life in the original The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, and is also an accomplished director in his own right. With Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav confirming the studio is developing a new slate of Lord of the Rings movies, we now have confirmation on what the first film will be titled and when it’s coming out. During this morning’s WB earnings call, Zaslav revealed the new film, titled Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, will be helmed by Andy Serkis and will premiere in theaters in 2026.

As the title suggests, Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will feature Serkis’ Gollum as its main character. Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens are writing the screenplay, along with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou (Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim). Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is executive produced by Ken Kamins, with Serkis and The Imaginarium’s Jonathan Cavendish. Peter Jackson is producing with Walsh and Boyens.

“For over two-decades, moviegoers have embraced the Lord of the Rings film trilogy because of the undeniable devotion Peter, Fran and Philippa have shown towards protecting the legacy of Tolkien’s works, and to ensure audiences could experience the incredible world he created in a way that honors his literary vision,” said Warner Bros. Motion Pictures heads Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy in a joint statement. “We are honored they have agreed be our partners on these two new films. With Andy coming aboard to direct Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum(*WT), 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, Walsh and Boyens added, “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! As life long fans of Professor Tolkien’s vast mythology, we are proud to be working with Mike De Luca, Pam Abdy and the entire team at Warner Bros. on another epic adventure!”

“We’re going to have a real focus on franchises,” Zaslav said during an earnings call late last year. “We haven’t had a Superman movie in 13 years. We haven’t done a Harry Potter movie in 15 years. The DC movies and Harry Potter movie provided a lot of the profits of Warner Brothers Motion Pictures over the last 25 years. So focus on the franchise. One of the big advantages that we have, House of the Dragon is an example of that. Game of Thrones, taking advantage of Sex in the City, Lord of the Rings, we still have the right to do Lord of the Rings movies. What are the movies that have brands that are understood and loved everywhere in the world.”