Current Events > New 'Lord of the Rings' film coming in 2026.

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/09/entertainment/new-lord-of-rings-movie/index.html

Just what we needed right...

The Oscar-winning team behind the nearly $6 billion blockbuster Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies is reuniting to produce two new films.

The first of the new projects from Sir Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens is tentatively titled Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, Warner Bros. Discovery announced Thursday. It will be directed by and LOTR alum Andy Serkis. Walsh and Boyens have been tapped to write the screenplay, along with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou.

Yesssss, Precious, Serkis, who has voiced the LOTR character Gollum, said in a statement. 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.

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! Jackson, Walsh and Boyens said in a joint statement. As life long fans of Professor Tolkiens 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!

The films will be released for Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema. Warner Bros. is owned by CNNs parent company.

Jackson made history with The Lord of the Rings trilogy, becoming the first person to direct three major feature films simultaneously.

The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King were nominated for multiple awards including Oscars, Golden Globes and BAFTAs.
Serkis served as 2nd Unit director on Jacksons The Hobbit trilogy and directed the 2021 film Venom: Let There Be Carnage.

Hunt for Gollum? Hunt for what? His burned up ashes?

Someone saw the reception of the gollum game on release and really thought "hey that's a good idea."

This happens after Lotr?

I'm all in if it's Andy Serkis performing as Gollum

WingsOfGood posted...

This happens after Lotr?

Realistically, and given that the title has hunt in the name, it probably happens during the time skip in the fellowship between when gandalf goes to research the ring and gollum is captured and while tortured tells them about the shire.

Fuck gollum

Questionable idea aside, what a terrible title.

The Hobbit may not have been great, but "An Unexpected Journey," "the Desolation of Smaug," and "The Battle of Five Armies" at least felt like appropriate titles in the spirit of the LotR trilogy.

"The Hunt for Gollum" sounds like something written by a 6th grader on Fanfiction.net

Don't worry he directed Venom: Let there be Carnage. So clearly in good hands. /s

Peter Jackson and Andy Serkis are involved so it's absolutely gonna be worth the watch.

Jerry_Hellyeah posted...

Peter Jackson and Andy Serkis are involved so it's absolutely gonna be worth the watch.

I don't know. The Hobbit trilogy wasn't really all that great. I think it's really going to come down to how much they splurge on practical effects versus how much of this is just one giant green screen adventure.

s0nicfan posted...

The Hobbit trilogy wasn't really all that great.

I didn't think it was good at all.

Remember when people were excusing Peter Jackson for the Hobbit trilogy, blaming everything on the studio?

The only part I really liked in The Hobbit trilogy was Smaug in the mountain

s0nicfan posted...

I don't know. The Hobbit trilogy wasn't really all that great. I think it's really going to come down to how much they splurge on practical effects versus how much of this is just one giant green screen adventure.

I can see that, and I'd even call them straight up bad, but Id still say theyre totally worth a watch.

Nobody wanted a Gollum game, so why think people want a Gollum movie?

Why are they so intent on focusing on Gollum? There are better stories they could tell from that world like Beren and Luthien, or Children of Hurin.

ssjevot posted...

Don't worry he directed Venom: Let there be Carnage. So clearly in good hands. /s

Its hobbin time

Jerry_Hellyeah posted...

I can see that, and I'd even call them straight up bad, but Id still say theyre totally worth a watch.

I'm always willing to give The Hobbit trilogy a little bit of a pass because as I understand it the original plan was for the first two movies to be an adaptation of the book and the third movie would be a collection of all the material bridging the Hobbit and The LotR trilogy brought together into an all-new story, but relatively late in the process the Tolkien estate rescinded the rights to tell those stories and the studio was forced to turn a two movie plot into a three movie plot.

So my real problem with the Hobbit isn't so much the story as it is the excessive use of CG after the original trilogy did such a wonderful job with practical effects.

s0nicfan posted...

the studio was forced to turn a two movie plot into a three movie plot.

you mean they turned a one movie plot into a three movie plot

CommonStar posted...

Why are they so intent on focusing on Gollum? There are better stories they could tell from that world like Beren and Luthien, or Children of Hurin.

Because Gollum is recognizable and marketable.

s0nicfan posted...

I'm always willing to give The Hobbit trilogy a little bit of a pass because as I understand it the original plan was for the first two movies to be an adaptation of the book and the third movie would be a collection of all the material bridging the Hobbit and The LotR trilogy brought together into an all-new story, but relatively late in the process the Tolkien estate rescinded the rights to tell those stories and the studio was forced to turn a two movie plot into a three movie plot.

Forced? They had no choice but to release a trio of films?

darkace77450 posted...

Forced? They had no choice but to release a trio of films?

It's fair to point out that it didn't have to be a trilogy, but that doesn't negate the fact that they had a plan in place and were told that a third of the story they had planned could no longer be used. Whether you want to blame that on the studio, the producers, the Tolkien estate, or Peter Jackson is going to depend on information that none of us have.

Kaiser-Mazoku posted...

Because Gollum is recognizable and marketable.

Marketable to who?

Gollum

s0nicfan posted...

Realistically, and given that the title has hunt in the name, it probably happens during the time skip in the fellowship between when gandalf goes to research the ring and gollum is captured and while tortured tells them about the shire.

How much time passed during that time skip? Could the film be a prequel taking place when Gollum first started living in the caves?

CommonStar posted...

Marketable to who?

Gollum fans I guess

Sunburst posted...

How much time passed during that time skip? Could the film be a prequel taking place when Gollum first started living in the caves?

The movies don't do a good job of showing it but when Gandalf goes off to do research he's gone for 17 years. In that time Mordor hunted down Gollum, tortured him, learned of the shire, and sent the ring wraiths from the north to hunt him down.

Oh I didn't realize it was 17 years. That probably is the setting.

No movie needs to ever be remade.

However when they are don't half ass it. Still make it good. Don't think established license means you can half ass the work.

Sadly we all know what's likely to happen.

Sunburst posted...

Oh I didn't realize it was 17 years. That probably is the setting.

Yea. It's more or less the best time to do a "hunt for gollum" movie while also showing the details of an event that canonically happened and is an excuse for cameos from the fellowship cast before they headed to Rivendell.