Years away from Middle-earth, Warner Bros. is preparing to delve deeper into the works of JRR Tolkien with more “Lord of the Rings” films in the coming years. Yes, movies are plural here. These films will not be remakes of Peter Jackson's original trilogy, nor will they be remakes of “The Hobbit.” For starters, we have a new “Lord of the Rings” movie called “The Hunt for Gollum,” which we first learned about earlier this year. Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in Jackson's previous films, is in the director's chair. In this case, one would be “The Hunt for Gollum” as a keyword, which would actually be one movie instead of two.
Speaking with Empire, co-writer of Jackson's “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy and “The Hobbit” Philippa Boyens clarified that while two different “LOTR” films are in the works, the other is a completely different project. which has no relation to “The Hunt for Gollum”. .” .” This is what she had to say about it:
“I can say with certainty that they are not two movies! It was a real misunderstanding because, conceptually, we had started working on two different live-action films. The first is 'The Hunt for Gollum' and the second. One thing remains to be confirmed.”
There was some confusion when Gandalf actor Ian McKellen suggested that “The Hunt for Gollum” would be two films. While it's not entirely difficult to see where the confusion came from, it's partly right. However, all of this opens up new questions about the future of the franchise.
What other Lord of the Rings stories are there to tell?
As for the confusion? “We're playing with a lot of ideas, but most of those ideas involve Gandalf,” Boynes explained in the interview. “So Gandalf is coming back for two live-action movies.” So McKellen has certainly been in contact with Jackson, Warner Bros., Boynes and presumably Serkis.
As to what this other film will be, it is now a matter of pure speculation. Warner Bros. animated film “The War of the Rohirrim” hits theaters in December, a short piece written by Tolkien adapted into a feature film. Boyens, also speaking, offered some details about when “The Hunt for Gollum” takes place, giving some clues as to how the franchise is approaching this point:
“It is a very intense story that falls after Bilbo's birthday party and before the Mines of Moria. “It is a specific piece of an incredible untold story, told from the perspective of this incredible creature.”
Therefore, “The Hunt for Gollum” can best be described as a mid-sequel, a film that takes place between “The Fellowship of the Ring” and “The Two Towers.” Essentially, the property's creations seem to be operating on the margins, filling in perceived gaps in Middle-earth's history. As for why? Because “The Fellowship of the Ring” was a success, it spawned a $5.8 billion franchise…the biggest movie in history. Even Jackson's “Hobbit” films were not as well received as his “LOTR” trilogy. Warner Bros. has every motivation to look out of this world, for better or worse.
“The Hunt for Gollum” currently has no official release date, but is expected to arrive in 2026.
