Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema have announced a The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum release date, scheduling plans to bring Sméagol’s story to moviegoers on December 17, 2027.
The update puts the premiere date more than two years out from today. It’s at least a one-year delay from the previously announced 2026 plan, but that likely hasn’t stopped fantasy fans from plotting out how they’ll spend Christmas in 2027.
The Hunt for Gollum is being directed by Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle director, Andy Serkis. He is, of course, also well known for his role as an actor, having made a name for himself playing the part of Caesar in the 2010 Planet of the Apes trilogy and, most notably, Gollum in both the original The Lord of the Rings film trilogy and The Hobbit film trilogy. Now, viewers should be happy to hear that Serkis is attached to the film both behind and in front of the camera.
The motion-capture legend is more than familiar with what makes Gollum tick, but he’ll be joined by other Middle-earth veterans when bringing The Hunt for Gollum to the big screen. Included as producers are Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Zane Weiner. At the writing table are Walsh, Boyens, Phoebe Gittins, and Arty Papageorgiou.
As for story details, Jackson offered fans a few clues regarding what to expect last year. Audiences can expect to see beloved characters’ pasts explored, with the filmmaker revealing that one goal is to tell stories that they “didn’t have time to cover” in previous installments.
“We really want to explore [Gollum’s] backstory and delve into those parts of his journey we didn’t have time to cover in the earlier films,” Jackson said at the time. “It’s too soon to know who will cross his path, but suffice to say we will take our lead from [original author J.R.R. Tolkien].”
As Warner Bros. continues its trek into the future The Lord of the Rings films, The Hunt for Gollum – and potentially other movies – will likely feature other returning characters. Gandalf is one name expected to appear, with Boyens telling Empire last October that he could show up in potentially two live-action films. If everything goes according to plan, the iconic wizard may even be portrayed by original actor Ian McKellen.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is now set to release three Decembers from now. It’ll be some time before it’s out in theaters, so in the meantime, be sure to check out the latest updates on Amazon Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which was confirmed to return for Season 3 earlier this year.
Michael Cripe is a freelance contributor with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
