Lord Of The Rings movie is in the works titled The Hunt For Gollum which will see Andy Serkis return to both star and direct

A new installment in the Lord Of The Rings franchise, entitled Lord Of The Rings: The Hunt For Gollum, has been confirmed to be in the works, per The Hollywood Reporter.

The news about the new entry in the film series was confirmed by Warner Bros. Discovery’s CEO, David Zaslav, during the company’s first-quarter earnings conference call on Thursday.

The entertainment industry figure stated that several projects in the Lord Of The Rings franchise were ‘now in the early stages of script development,’ and that the new entry in the series was being eyed for a 2026 release.

Lord Of The Rings: The Hunt For Gollum will also mark the return of Andy Serkis, who will both star as the Middle-earth mainstay, direct the upcoming feature and serve as one of its executive producers.

Peter Jackson, who has directed each movie in the Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit film series, which are based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, will remain attached to the new project as a producer.

A new installment in the Lord Of The Rings franchise, entitled Lord Of The Rings: The Hunt For Gollum, has been confirmed to be in the works, per The Hollywood Reporter

Zaslav also stated that the filmmaker’s frequent writing partners, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, will be involved with the project ‘every step of the way.’

The writers, who penned the screenplay for all of the Lord Of The Rings and Hobbit movies, are set to return to write the script for the new feature.

Jackson, Walsh and Boyens issued a statement in which they described themselves as ‘life long fans of Professor Tolkien’s vast mythology.’

They stated: ‘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!’

Serkis also shared a statement of his own to show his enthusiasm for the upcoming project.

‘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,’ he said.

Plot details about the upcoming entry in the Lord Of The Rings franchise are currently being kept under wraps.

It was revealed that new installments in the film series were in the works last year, when Warner Bros. and New Line struck a deal with with rights holders Embracer Group AB to develop new projects, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Lord Of The Rings: The Hunt For Gollum will also mark the return of Andy Serkis, who will both star as the Middle-earth mainstay, direct the upcoming feature and serve as one of its executive producers; Serkis is seen in April

The news about the new entry in the film series was confirmed by Warner Bros. Discovery's CEO, David Zaslav, during the company's first-quarter earnings conference call on Thursday

The entertainment industry figure stated that several projects in the Lord Of The Rings franchise were 'now in the early stages of script development,' and that the new entry in the series was being eyed for a 2026 release

Peter Jackson, who has directed each movie in the Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit film series, which are based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, will remain attached to the new project as a producer; seen in 2018

Zaslav first hinted that he was interested in returning to Middle-earth in November of 2022 during an investor call.

Warner Bros. Discovery is also competing with Amazon Studios, which is developing its own universe based on the Lord Of The Rings book series.

The company released The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power on Amazon Prime Video in 2022, and it quickly became the most popular series on the streaming service.

The second season of the program, which has become the one of the most expensive shows ever made, is expected to premiere later this year.