Lord of the Rings: A new Middle-earth movie will be released in 2026

He's back: Andy Serkis will soon take on the role of Gollum again. Image: Warner Bros.

Peter Jackson dares to explore Middle-earth again: After the financially successful but controversial Hobbit trilogy among fans, it looked for a long time as if the director had finished with the fantasy world. But the new announcement from Warner Bros. hits the community like a piece of Minas Tirith in an orc army: A new film, produced by Jackson, will be released in 2026.

Other people who already played central roles in Lord of the Rings are also on board again. We have all the information and can already tell you the first details about the plot.

This is what we know about the new Middle-earth movie

Who is participating? Peter Jackson is the producer, this time directed by Andy Serkis – who also returns to his role as Gollum. Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, the two screenwriters and producers of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, are back on board. WETA Workshop is once again responsible for the special effects.

WETA has also made literally tons of physical props for the Lord of the Rings films, such as masks and armor for the Uruks.
WETA has also made literally tons of physical props for the Lord of the Rings films, such as masks and armor for the Uruks.

When is the film coming? The cinema release is planned for 2026, but filming has not yet started. The script is currently being written. There is currently no more specific release date.

Are there more Middle-earth films coming? Yes, it certainly looks like it. The animated film The War of the Rohirrim has been confirmed for a long time, and Warner Bros. is now planning to make further feature films based on Tolkien's books. The New Line Cinema label, which you already know from Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, is supposed to be responsible for this.

What is The Hunt For Gollum about?

The title already reveals: It's about an episode that is only briefly mentioned in the Tolkien books: Aragorn (then a slightly younger ranger) hunts for Gollum on behalf of Gandalf the Grey. Because the wizard wants to find out more about the mysterious ring that the greasy creep had for so long before he lost it to Bilbo.

The film could either take place between The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings or between Bilbo's birthday and Frodo's departure for Bree. In the book, many years pass in between, but in the films it looked more like months in which Gandalf was doing research.

Apparently the story in the new film is told primarily from Gollum's perspective. A decision that is met with mixed reactions among fans, some of whom are bothered by the fact that this character of all people gets so much attention in films and games. For example, YouTuber Jacob Geller expresses his skepticism on X (formerly Twitter):

I am the company executive who decides that the most beloved part of the Lord of the Rings universe was Gollum. I get $35 million a year.