Peter Jackson to make more “Lord of the Rings” films, Andy Serkis sets Gollum's return

The director will produce two new movies alongside longtime collaborators Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens.

Peter Jackson will return to Middle-earth once again.

The director, who helmed the beloved Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films, is set to produce two more films alongside longtime franchise collaborators Dame Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, Warner Bros. announced on Thursday. The company also revealed a tentative title for one of the projects: Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.

Andy Serkis, who played Sméagol/Gollum in both of Jackson’s trilogies, is attached to both direct and reprise his role as the riddle-loving creature in the upcoming movie, which features a screenplay by Walsh, Boyens, Phoebe Gittins, and Arty Papageorgiou. Serkis will executive-produce with his close collaborator, Jonathan Cavendish, and Ken Kamins.

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“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,” Serkis confirmed in a press release. "With Mike and Pam, and the Warner Bros team on the quest as well, alongside WETA and our film-making family in New Zealand, it’s just all too delicious…”

Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens are also looking forward to going to Middle-earth again in two new films.

“It is an honor 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!” they said in a joint statement. “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!”

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Warner Bros. Pictures Group film chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy added in their own statement that they were “honored” that Walsh, Boyens, and Jackson “have agreed be our partners on these two new films.”

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“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," De Luca and Abdy said. "We are honored 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 projects are tentatively slated for a 2026 release, according to The Hollywood Reporter. While that may sound like a long time to wait, LOTR fans will have plenty of new content to keep them busy. Not only will Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy return to theaters this summer, but the second season of Amazon’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is will be released later this year and an animated film, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, will march into theaters on Dec. 13, 2024. 

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