"LOTR: Gollum Hunt Launches Dec 2027"

Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema have set the theatrical release date for The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, with Gollum's standalone story hitting theaters on December 17, 2027.

This announcement places the premiere over three years away, marking at least a year's delay from initial 2026 projections. However, fantasy enthusiasts are probably already counting down to their 2027 holiday plans.

Andy Serkis, acclaimed director of Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, will helm the project. The actor-turned-filmmaker brings unparalleled expertise, having famously portrayed Gollum across both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, along with Caesar in the Planet of the Apes reboot series. Fans will be thrilled to learn Serkis is both directing and reprising his iconic role.

While Serkis understands Gollum like no other, he'll collaborate with Middle-earth veterans behind the scenes. The producing team includes Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Zane Weiner, with Walsh, Boyens, Phoebe Gittins, and Arty Papageorgiou handling screenplay duties.

Jackson previously teased the film's narrative direction, promising deeper dives into unexplored backstories of fan-favorite characters. "We're eager to examine Gollum's untold history – elements we simply couldn't fit into earlier films," Jackson revealed last year. "While we can't confirm which characters might appear, we remain faithful to Tolkien's seminal work."

The Complete Lord of the Rings Film Timeline

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As Warner Bros. expands Middle-earth's cinematic universe, The Hunt for Gollum and potential spin-offs may see other familiar faces return. Industry rumors suggest Gandalf could appear in multiple upcoming films, with Boyens hinting to Empire that Ian McKellen might reprise his legendary role.

With The Hunt for Gollum now slated for December 2027, fans have ample time to revisit Middle-earth through Amazon Prime's The Rings of Power, which received an early Season 3 renewal this year.