Andy Serkis said he is “flying to New Zealand” to begin work on The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, confirming that prep is underway as the franchise readies its first live-action feature in more than a decade. The filmmaker will direct and reprise his performance-capture role as Gollum, with producers from the original trilogy involved and a script in place, according to recent remarks from studio leadership. The film is dated for December 17, 2027.
Serkis said he was “very excited to go back” and described Gollum as a character he “cannot escape,” adding that the immediate focus is pre-production rather than location shooting. His return reunites the creative team behind earlier Middle-earth films, with long-time collaborators producing and writing. The studio shifted the release from an initial 2026 target to late 2027 as development progressed.
The story is set in the period between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring, when the hunt to find and contain Gollum grows urgent as the One Ring’s whereabouts edge toward discovery. Public guidance points to a narrative drawn from Tolkien’s appendices, with the perspective anchored to the ring-obsessed outcast and the pursuit that swirls around him.
Speculation about legacy casting has intensified. At a fan event in London, Ian McKellen hinted that Gandalf and Frodo may appear, though no casting has been formally announced. Serkis, for his part, has teased that familiar faces could surface alongside new characters, while emphasizing that work now centers on building out the production.
The film arrives amid broader activity in Middle-earth. Executives recently touted the screenplay’s quality on an earnings call, positioning the project as a key tentpole alongside other major properties. The timeline suggests pre-production through 2025 into 2026, followed by a holiday 2027 rollout engineered to echo the corridor that powered earlier installments.
