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The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum
gets a disappointing new update from Andy Serkis. Following the success of Peter Jackson’s original Lord of the Rings trilogy and the mixed reception to his Hobbit trilogy, the world of Middle-earth is set to return once more in a story set between the events of The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers. The Hunt for Gollum was confirmed to be in the works in May 2024, with Jackson producing and Serkis directing the tale about Aragorn and Gandalf’s quest to apprehend the titular creature.
During a recent appearance at a Fan Expo Vancouver panel on February 23, per The Direct, Serkis reveals that The Hunt for Gollum has been delayed by one year. The film, which was originally slated to release in December 2026, will now bow in theaters in December 2027, with filming set to get underway next year. Check out Serkis’ comment below:
”Yeah, it is not 2026. It was originally going to be December 2026. It is going to be December 2027. We are right at the beginning of the writing process. We will be prepping later this year. Prep takes a good chunk of time, six or seven months, and then we will be shooting next year. So, it backs into that December 2027 release date.”
What The Hunt For Gollum’s Delay Means For Lord Of The Rings
Getting The Script Right Will Be Crucial
To hit a December 2026 release date, The Hunt for Gollum would have had to start filming this year, and that would mean having a script ready to go. It’s clear that it’s still very early days for the writing of the movie, and screenwriters Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Phoebe Gittins, and Arty Papageorgiou evidently want to make sure they get it right after the poor response to The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. In addition to earning mixed reviews, the anime film was a major box office bomb, grossing just $20 million.
There’s even more pressure to get the script right because this will be what encourages original Lord of the Rings cast members to return. The story will seemingly involve Gandalf and Aragorn, and though Ian McKellen has expressed a willingness to return as Gandalf, Aragorn actor Viggo Mortensen has been more measured in his responses, telling GQ: “I would only do it if I was right for it in terms of, you know, the age I am now and so forth.” And Boyens told The Playlist, “whether Viggo does it or will entirely depends on how good the script is.”
More to come…
Source: The Direct