Andy Serkis will return as Gollum in a new Lord of the Rings movie set to be released in 2026, Warner Bros has announced.
The Hollywood icon will direct the latest instalment in the franchise, currently titled Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, which will focus on the titular character.
It's one of the new movies in the series that were announced in February 2023, and it's separate to this year's Christmas release, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim.
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Original trilogy filmmaker Peter Jackson will produce the film alongside Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, with the trio "involved every step of the way" in the movie according to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav (per Variety).
Related: Lord of the Rings game Tales of the Shire releases trailer
The film will "explore storylines yet to be told", according to Zaslav, and is currently at the early stages of script development with Walsh, Boyens, Phoebe Gittins, and Arty Papageorgiou attached as writers.
Serkis will return to the role of Gollum for the film, with further casting yet to be announced. He will also be an executive producer on the project alongside Ken Kammis and Jonathan Cavendish.
In a statement about the film, Serkis expressed his excitement, saying: "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…"
Jackson, Walsh and Boyens added: "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! As lifelong 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!"
Related: Lord of the Rings cast pay tribute to co-star Bernard Hill following his death
Warner Bros. studio leaders Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy said in a joint statement they are "honoured" to be working on a new Lord of the Rings film.
"For over two decades, moviegoers have embraced the Lord of the Rings film trilogy because of the undeniable devotion Peter, Fran and Philippa have shown towards protecting the legacy of Tolkien’s works, and to ensure audiences could experience the incredible world he created in a way that honors his literary vision," they said.
"We are honoured they have agreed be our partners on these two new films. With Andy coming aboard to direct Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, we continue an important commitment to excellence that is a true hallmark of how we all want to venture ahead and further contribute to the Lord of the Rings cinematic history."
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will be released in 2026.
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