Peter Jackson Reveals Details About New "The Hunt for Gollum" Film

Peter Jackson has broken his silence on the new film "The Hunt for Gollum" from the Lord of the Rings series. The acclaimed director is preparing to return to Middle-earth.

Peter Jackson spoke about the new film "The Hunt for Gollum," expressing his excitement about telling Gollum's story. J.R.R. Tolkien’s fictional universe continues to captivate the film and television world. While fans await the release of the second season of "The Rings of Power" on Prime Video this summer, a new Lord of the Rings film is in the works thanks to a collaboration between New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures.

The first details about this long-planned film by WBD were revealed last week. Titled "The Hunt for Gollum," the film will be set before "The Fellowship of the Ring" and will be directed by Andy Serkis, the actor who portrayed Gollum. The film, set to be released in 2026, will have Peter Jackson as its producer.

Peter Jackson Talks About the New Lord of the Rings Film "The Hunt for Gollum"

In an interview with Deadline, Peter Jackson explained why Gollum was the perfect choice to launch this new series of films and expressed his excitement to work with Andy Serkis again. Serkis played Gollum in both the original Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Hobbit series. Now, he will direct and star in "The Hunt for Gollum."

Jackson shared his inspiration for the new project with these words

"The character of Gollum/Sméagol has always fascinated me. Gollum reflects the darkest sides of human nature, while Sméagol is undeniably sympathetic. I think he creates a strong connection with readers and viewers because we all carry a bit of both within us. We really want to explore his past and delve into aspects of his journey that we didn't have time to address in the earlier films. It's too early to say who he will cross paths with, but we can say that we will draw inspiration from Professor Tolkien's work."

Andy Serkis, known for his roles as Supreme Leader Snoke in Star Wars and Caesar in Planet of the Apes, will return to Middle-earth for this project.

"No One Can Tell Gollum's Story Better Than Andy"

Peter Jackson expressed his pleasure in working with Serkis again with these words:

"Working with Andy when he directed the Second Unit on The Hobbit was fantastic. He has the energy, imagination, and above all, the natural understanding of the world and the story needed to return to Middle-earth. We have collaborated on eight films, and each time has been a wonderful experience. There is no one who can tell Gollum's story better than Andy."

The co-writers of the original trilogy, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, have been tasked with writing the screenplay for the new Lord of the Rings film. Jackson, on the other hand, will not return as a screenwriter but will continue as a producer and be "involved in every stage of the project."