New Lord Of The Rings Movie Lands A Familiar Director, But It's Not Peter Jackson

Actor and filmmaker Andy Serkis, who became famous for his turn as Gollum in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" film trilogies, has been tapped to direct and star in the new "Lord of the Rings" film "Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum," as reported by Variety. Jackson will also be heavily involved in the new round of "Lord of the Rings" movies, and will have a producer credit on "The Hunt for Gollum." Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" and "Hobbit" co-writers Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh are also producing "The Hunt for Gollum" and are currently developing the script with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou. This news comes from the latest earnings call for Warner Bros. Discovery, in which company CEO David Zaslav said that Jackson, Boyens, and Walsh "will be involved every step of the way" with the new "Lord of the Rings" movies.

"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!" said Jackson, Boyens, and Walsh in a statement. "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!"

This is great news for fans of the original saga who are hesitant to embrace a new wave of spinoffs, prequels, or sequels related to J.R.R. Tolkien's expansive fantasy world. Though visionary director Jackson is often cited as the mastermind behind the beloved "Lord of the Rings" trilogy (and the much-less-beloved "Hobbit" trilogy), the filmmaker worked with Walsh and Boyens on all three scripts for those Oscar-winning movies.

Apparently, the new "Lord of the Rings" films (starting with "The Hunt for Gollum") will focus on Gollum himself, the creepy Stoor-Hobbit-turned-monster who became obsessed with the universe's hypnotic, power-hungry One Ring. The new movies were first announced over a year ago (news that also came from Zaslav himself). Serkis commented on "The Hunt for Gollum" in a statement of his own:

"Yesssss, Precious. 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..."

Aside from "Venom: Let There Be Carnage," Serkis has also directed the films "Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle" and "Breathe," and is set to helm an upcoming film adaptation of George Orwell's "Animal Farm" (something he's apparently wanted to do for years). He's also become the face of motion-capture acting, winning praise and recognition for his turns in movies like the modern "Planet of the Apes" series and Jackson's "King Kong." Zaslav was mum about any other details related to the upcoming "Lord of the Rings" films on the earnings call, noting that the movies will "explore storylines yet to be told." It's safe to assume the movies will be available in theaters, as the businessman also called them "a significant opportunity for theatrical business."

"Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum" will arrive at some point in 2026.