Andy Serkis announces that the release date for LOTR The Hunt For Gollum has been delayed.

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      Fans eager for Gollum's return to Middle-earth will have to be patient a bit longer. In an interview with The Direct, Andy Serkis disclosed that the release of Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum has been postponed by a year. “Yes, it is not coming in 2026,” Serkis confirmed regarding The Hunt for Gollum's new release date. “It was initially set for December 2026, but it will now be December 2027.”

      Warner Bros. has yet to officially confirm the new release date. However, since Serkis is both the director and star of the film, he is well-informed about the project's timeline. He provided an update on production and when filming is expected to commence. “We are just at the start of the writing phase,” Serkis stated. “We will be preparing later this year. Preparation typically takes around six to seven months, after which we will begin shooting next year. This aligns with the December 2027 release date.”

      In May 2024, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group announced the development of two new films set in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth. The acclaimed team of Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens will return to produce both projects for Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema. The first film will be The Hunt for Gollum, directed by Serkis, who will reprise his iconic role as Gollum, previously played in The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies. Walsh and Boyens will work on the screenplay along with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou. The executive producers will include Serkis, Ken Kamins, and Jonathan Cavendish.

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      Work has commenced on two live-action projects in the Lord of the Rings universe, including The Hunt for Gollum. Ian McKellen stirred excitement and some confusion among fans during a British talk show, The Morning, suggesting that Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum might actually consist of two films. However, Philippa Boyens, the screenwriter who collaborated with Peter Jackson on both Lord of the Rings trilogies, clarified that The Hunt for Gollum is a single movie, but she did share another interesting detail. “I can confirm it’s definitely not two films!” Boyens stated in an interview with Empire Magazine. “That was a true misunderstanding that arose because we are conceptually working on two different live-action films. The first is ‘The Hunt For Gollum,’ and the second is yet to be confirmed.”

      The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power recently wrapped up its thrilling second season with an epic battle that impacts the future of Middle-earth. Naturally, this finale paves the way for a third season. However, Amazon has not yet renewed the prequel series. According to a recent report from The Hollywood Reporter, more episodes of Rings of Power are expected to come to the streaming platform. Amazon is “on the verge” of renewing The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power for a third season. Showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay have reportedly been preparing the storyline for season 3 even without an official renewal. They have established a writers' room for the upcoming season. In February, Payne and McKay signed new three-year contracts to continue working with Amazon MGM Studios.

      Travel back to Middle-earth 200 years prior to the events of the Lord of the Rings trilogy in the action-filled first trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. This animated film is based on the details found in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. The War of the Rohirrim centers around Helm Hammerhand (voiced by Brian Cox), the King of Rohan before his lineage became synonymous with Helm's Deep. Freca (Shaun Dooley), a lord from Dunland, suggests a marriage between his son, Wulf (Luke Pasqualino), and Helm's daughter, Héra (Gaia Wise), to strengthen Rohan. Offended by the proposal, Helm kills Freca with a single blow. Wulf vows to seek vengeance, leading a Dunlending army against Rohan. In search of a hero, Héra steps up to defend the people of Rohan.