https://variety.com/2024/film/news/lord-of-the-rings-movie-2026-release-warner-bros-1235997102/

"Warner Bros. to Release New ‘Lord of the Rings’ Movie ‘The Hunt for Gollum’ in 2026, Peter Jackson to Produce and Andy Serkis to Direct

Warner Bros. will release the first of its new batch of live-action “The Lord of the Rings” films in 2026, which will focus on Andy Serkis’ Gollum.

Original “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy filmmaker Peter Jackson and his partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens are producing the movie and “will be involved every step of the way,” Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said during an €arnings call Thursday.

The project is currently in the early stages of script development from writers Walsh and Boyens, along with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou, and will “explore storylines yet to be told,” Zaslav said.

In a press release from Warner Bros. later Thursday morning, the studio revealed that the working title for the film is “Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum,” and it will be directed by and star Serkis in his iconic titular role. The film will be executive produced by Ken Kamins, with Serkis and The Imaginarium’s Jonathan Cavendish.

Warner Bros. first announced in February 2023 that then-newly installed studio leaders Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy had brokered a deal to make “multiple” films based on the beloved J.R.R. Tolkien books. The projects will be developed through WB label New Line Cinema. Freemode, a division of Embracer Group, made the adaptive rights deal for books including “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” under a venture named Middle-earth Enterprises.

A separate, animated Middle-earth movie, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim,” is due on Dec. 13 via Warner Bros. and director Kenji Kamiyama. That movie is set 200 years before the events of “The Hobbit.”

“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,” De Luca and Abdy said in a statement Thursday. “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,’ 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!”

“Yesssss, Precious,” Serkis said. “The time has come once more to venture into the unknown with my dear friends, the extraordinary and incomparable guardians of Middle Earth Peter, Fran and Philippa. With Mike and Pam, and the Warner Bros team on the quest as well, alongside WETA and our filmmaking family in New Zealand, it’s just all too delicious…”
"

Curious:

The Hunt For Gollum (2009)

Website
The Hunt For Gollum
The Hunt For Gollum (Redux)

Can't wait for the new Avengers vs Sauron crossover.

We just can't let anything be, can we? I guess their involvement is the only reason to have a glimmer of hope this won't be abjectly atrocious, but then again they didn't save The Hobbit. Honestly I kind of wish they had the integrity to say "no" to what is an obvious corporate cash grab. Maybe it's arogant of me, a random Internet loser, to say so about accomplished artists who achieved so much, but it is what it is. If they surprise me by making something truly great and respectful of Tolkien's books I'll be glad to eat my words. Yeah, I was just about to mention that as soon as I saw this thread - we already have a perfectly good Hunt for Gollum film.

... and a perfectly good Gollum game.

The scary part is, it might yet turn out it's better than the movie.

Listen, last I checked, Gollum was to be found in a terrible adventure game. So I don't really know why anyone feels the need to hunt for him, especially when his whole thing is a tale about being a foregone conclusion.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to be waiting for someone to decide to scrape the barrel and make either a Rogue or Nethack movie. I'd love to see how they handle the Mazes of Menace or Rodney the Wizard. Or maybe they could do Exile or Ultima. Richard Garriott is starting to look about right for the role of Lord British, after all.

Same here.

Also, my own arrogant suggestion to the artists with access to the license; Why rehash Gollum, when there is all of The Silmarillion (Turin Turambar, Tinuviel and Beren) to draw upon?

Why not making a film about the wars of pacification of the Fourth Age, between Gondor and the Eastern / Harad Kingdoms ? Viggo Mortensen would be a perfect aged Elessar, and there's enough material to both respect the book and create new plots (the fate of the blue wizards or an esoteric order dedicated to Sauron...)

After the Hobbit 'trilogy', not really. The thread title reads like a bad belated April fool hoax to me ...

Peter Jackson is involved ? Then I'm actually interested.

Though honestly the title "Hunt for Gollum" doesnt raise expectations. I'm pretty out-gollum-ed.

That would be amazing. I'd love to see an experienced and aged Aragorn. A testament to all hes been through in The Return of the King.
We already know Viggo can do amazing work with enough time to prepare. His acting tend to be very good.

When we stop to think about it its kinda sad how The Lord of the Rings is not being well used as it could be.
So many good games, movies and series could be done because the material is so extensive... sigh.

I can't disagree. The Hobbit is nothing to compare with the original trilogy, but there is also the problem with its development time, to which I attribute its fails.
Maybe with enough time to organize things they may do something 'ok', as long as there is no interference.

Thats a tough one. I'm loving the books. I loved the original LOTR Movies especially in the extended cuts.
Never really got into the Hobbit movies (despite having read the book here as well) - as far as i remember right now furthest i made it was like half of the second movie.
Lore wise the LOTR universe would offer tons of other stuff they could focus around so most definitely not sure if a movie focus on Gollum is the best pick here. As Jackson and Serkis are involved giving it the benefit of doubt for now

I am going to withold any judgement on this until they have been made and I can see if I like them or not.

Because they don't have the rights to the Silmarillion (or any of tha later books covering those events). Neither does Amazon for that matter. They are all basically trying to scavenge an entire franchise out of the appendices to LotR.