Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum Set for Christmas 2027 Release
Warner Bros. has announced that Andy Serkis’ highly anticipated film, "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum", will hit theatres on December 17, 2027, according to a report by Variety. The studio has also confirmed release dates for two other upcoming films: "Evil Dead" on July 24, 2026, and M. Night Shyamalan’s "Remain" on October 23, 2026.
The release date for "The Hunt for Gollum" comes as no surprise, given that all six movies in Peter Jackson’s "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" film trilogies have traditionally been released in December, ahead of the Christmas holiday. As Variety notes, each trilogy has gone on to gross $2.9 billion at the worldwide box office.
Initially announced last summer, "The Hunt for Gollum" was expected to be released in 2026. However, the film has been delayed by a year, with Andy Serkis returning to direct and star in the title role. Serkis has been playing Gollum via motion capture since 2002’s "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers". His directorial credits include "Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle" and "Venom: Let There Be Carnage".
The film is being produced by Peter Jackson and his partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, who were instrumental in bringing the original "Lord of the Rings" trilogy to the big screen. According to Variety, the trio will be involved every step of the way in the production of "The Hunt for Gollum".
In an interview with Empire magazine, Philippa Boyens described "The Hunt for Gollum" as "quite an intense story" that takes place after Bilbo’s birthday party and before the Mines of Moria. The film will be told through the perspective of Gollum, offering a unique and untold chapter in the "Lord of the Rings" saga.
Several original cast members, including Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Orlando Bloom (Legolas), and Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn), have expressed interest in reprising their roles in the new film, should the story make sense for their characters to appear. However, no additional casting has been confirmed as of yet.
The "Lord of the Rings" franchise has been relatively quiet in recent years, with the last live-action film, "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies", released in 2014. The anime movie "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim" hit theatres in December 2024, and "The Hunt for Gollum" will mark the return of the live-action franchise to theatres. As reported by Variety, fans of the franchise will have to wait until Christmas 2027 to see the new film.
