When Is The Hunt for Gollum Coming Out?
Aka are we seeing Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf sooner rather than later?
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Get the rabbits ready in Gollum’s trailer, and prepare them just how Smeagol likes them! Herbs and all. He’s about to take the first billing in the brand new Lord of the Rings movies in 2026… or is it? Read on for the latest on Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, including when the film is actually coming out, according to CinemaCon.
Even more LOTR films, you say?
May 10, 2024: Andy Serkis is directing two new Lord of the Rings films all about our favorite lil creep. Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens are all producing the projects, explained Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav in an earnings call, per Variety. Walsh and Boyens are in the early stages of writing alongside Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou. The new movies are focusing on Gollum, played by Andy Serkis, who wrote, “We is baaaaak, Precious!” with the initial announcement. Warner Bros. Discovery shared last year that new LOTR films were in development, promising to tell new stories from Middle-earth.
Right now, the working title for the first movie is Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. Is this a Finding Nemo situation, where Gollum’s dad is searching for him all over after he is kidnapped by a dentist? It’ll probably give them a reason to give Smeagol some veneers. I forgot how scary his original chompers are.
Gandalf is building an elite team
September 2, 2024: Sir Ian McKellen says he’s down to clown in Hobbiton. Speaking to The Big Issue, McKellen said he’s in tentative talks to portray Gandalf in The Hunt for Gollum. “Enthusiasm for The Lord of the Rings shows no sign of abating,” he said. “I’ve just been told there are going to be more films and Gandalf will be involved and they hope that I’ll be playing him.” McKellen is taking a break for the rest of 2024, but these new Gollumses start filming in 2025, so that works out great. McKellen is currently recovering from falling off the stage during a performance on the West End, but he has no intention of ever retiring. If Gandalf if anything to go by, falls only make him stronger.
Soooo it’s delayed…
February 23, 2025: It might be a little longer before we reunite with our precious. As reported by The Direct, at Andy Serkis’ Fan Expo Vancouver 2025 panel, the director himself said we might not see Gollum until 2027. He confessed, “Yeah, it is not 2026. It was originally going to be December 2026. It is going to be December 2027.” He further explained that the script is getting started. He shared, “We are right at the beginning of the writing process. We will be prepping later this year. Prep takes a good chunk of time, six or seven months, and then we will be shooting next year. So, it backs into that December 2027 release date.”
Or is it?
March 31, 2025: A leaked photo from CinemaCon of the 2026 film slate shows Gollum still set to be released next year. What is the truth?!
The 2026 film slate presented at CinemaCon. pic.twitter.com/FYbPhnCrRE— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) March 31, 2025
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