Tolkien's universe hasn't had its last word in cinema. While Prime Video explores Tolkien's imagination on the small screen, and an animated film recounted the Rohirrim War last December, Warner Bros. aims to delve deeper into the journey of an iconic character from The Lord of the Rings. Led by producers Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens, the studio is working on a film dedicated to Gollum. Andy Serkis will once again slip into his motion capture suit, having already lent his features to the character in the early 2000s in the illustrious film trilogy. He will also be behind the camera, for the first time in the saga.
The project has been in development for some time now, it was made official in 2024 and has received very little attention since. While many actors and actresses have said they are ready to return, from Ian McKellen to Liv Tyler and Orlando Bloom, the cast remains completely mysterious. Such silence was obviously not a good sign for the project called The Hunt for Gollum. While it was promised for 2026, it has been significantly delayed. Warner Bros. has indeed confirmed that it will not be hitting theaters until December 2027. It is on December 17 in the United States, and probably a few days earlier in France, that Warner Bros. hopes to create a buzz in cinemas around the world.
The holiday season has always been rather favorable for the adaptation of the fantasy novel. The Return of the King, released in 2003, generated $1.14 million at the global box office (excluding inflation). Warner Bros. hopes to do at least as well. But The Hunt for Gollum has many challenges to overcome. Could this delay have an impact on the success of this new film?
Filler?
In Hollywood, the gray areas of a saga don't stay that way for very long. As industry giants continue to look for ways to exploit intellectual property after the success of previous adaptations, it is often spin-offs and prequels that are offered to viewers. From Harry Potter to Star Wars, studios have mastered the art of filler. The Hunt for Gollum ticks all the boxes for an adventure whose outcome should be no mystery to anyone. Indeed, the film will take place some time before The Fellowship of the Ring, when Bilbo Baggins celebrates his 111th birthday and before Frodo leaves the Shire to destroy the ring. Gandalf, who discovered in The Hobbit that Gollum was in possession before Bilbo, sends Aragorn to pursue the character. He fears that he will reveal crucial information about the one who rules them all, Sauron. This story is inspired by the appendices of The Lord of the Rings.
Making a film from a few lines is the biggest challenge the writers have to overcome. While Warner Bros. has not specified the reasons for this delay to 2027, we can imagine that this time will be used to refine the story and give it a structure that meets audience expectations.
Time is running out
Besides the difficulty of creating a convincing story, Peter Jackson and Andy Serkis are racing against time. With the story taking place before the events of The Fellowship of the Ring, the question of casting choices is a serious one. Ian McKellen and Viggo Mortensen will probably not be difficult to convince, but the two actors will have a hard time forgetting the two decades (almost 3) that separate them from their first appearances in their respective roles. This is especially true for Viggo Mortensen, who is 66 years old compared to 41 when filming began on the trilogy.
Mortensen is now older than McKellen was when he played the magician. For now, it is not known if Warner Bros. is still counting on the duo to carry the story... or if changes are to be expected. In any case, the actor who plays Aragorn will be close to 70 years old when The Hunt for Gollum hits the big screen. McKellen will be 88 years old.
The postponement of The Hunt for Gollum is still beneficial. Warner Bros. probably wanted to avoid a busy end to 2026 with iconic licenses. In December 2026, viewers have a date with Dune: Messiah, a sequel to the adventures of Paul Atreides by Denis Villeneuve. It's a safe bet that a possible competition between two iconic licenses at Warner Bros. motivated the postponement of The Hunt for Gollum.
In such circumstances, the film avoids a fierce battle with Ice Age 6, Shrek 5 and also The Chronicles of Narnia by Greta Gerwig. The fantasy universe, imagined by C.S Lewis (also a member of the Inklings), is due to hit IMAX theaters in November 2026 before arriving on Netflix a few weeks later.
Note that, if it maintains its broadcast schedule, the Prime Video series The Rings of Power should also return for its third season in 2026. While their different channels do not put these adaptations of Tolkien's imagination in direct competition, it must be admitted that Andy Serkis' film could take advantage of this lull in Middle-earth to make its mark (as a chubby hobbit).
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