Warner Bros. announces new Lord of the Rings film 'The Hunt for Gollum' for 2026

Warner Bros. will release a new live-action Lord of the Rings film in 2026, tentatively titled 'The Hunt for Gollum'. Peter Jackson, director of the original trilogy, serves as producer alongside Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, who co-wrote the screenplay with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou. Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in the original films, directs and reprises his role. The project is in early script development, with Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens involved at every stage. The film is the first of a planned series of live-action films under Warner Bros.' agreement with rights holders. The plot will explore untold storylines. The announcement comes over a year after Warner Bros. revealed plans for new LOTR films, paralleling Amazon's separate television universe with 'The Rings of Power', which does not involve Jackson or the screenwriters. The original Oscar-winning trilogy will return to theaters this summer in a remastered extended version.