Summary
- The newly announced Lord of the Rings movie, The Hunt for Gollum, is centered on Andy Serkis' iconic character.
- Reprising his role as Gollum, Serkis will take fans on a journey that's likely set between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
- This is an interesting place on The Lord of the Rings' timeline, as the film will have to work around Jackson's other movies.
Warner Bros. has announced that a new film is centered on Andy Serkis' Gollum — and that gives fans a good idea of where the project falls on the franchise's timeline. According to Variety, Serkis will reprise his role as Gollum for the project, which currently has a working title of The Hunt for Gollum. Peter Jackson will produce the film alongside Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, and the studio is aiming for a 2026 release date.
Another Lord of the Rings movie is an exciting prospect after years without one, though Lord of the Rings movies and has secured Jackson's involvement. This will make longtime LOTR fans even more excited about Warner Bros.' vow to create more content based on J.R.R. Tolkien's world. And thanks to the movie's working title, viewers already have a good idea of when The Hunt for Gollum will take place.
How To Watch The Lord Of The Rings Movies In Order (Chronologically & By Release Date)
The Hobbit explores a time period before the Lord of the Rings, meaning Peter Jackson’s movies can be watched in more than one viewing order.
The Hunt For Gollum Is Likely Set Between The Hobbit & Lord Of The Rings
The Ring Is The Most Probable Reason The Characters Are Searching For Him
Given that the new Lord of the Rings movie will focus on the search for Gollum, it is likely set between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings movies. There's no reason anyone would be hunting for Gollum prior to his encounter with Bilbo in The Hobbit, as no one was aware that he had possession of the One Ring. After his interaction with Bilbo, key characters do have a reasonable excuse to track him down, as he has information about the Ring's new owner and its whereabouts.
And Tolkien's writings confirm that Sauron, Aragorn, and Gandalf search for Gollum prior to Frodo's journey in The Lord of the Rings. Sauron's forces obviously want Gollum's information about the Ring, while Aragorn and Gandalf hope to stop Gollum from leading Sauron to it. It seems viewers will see these events from Gollum's perspective, at least judging by Serkis' role in the film. It's an interesting place to explore on The Lord of the Rings' timeline, as doing so will directly lead into Jackson's movies. As such, The Hunt for Gollum will require a careful hand. It's fortunate Jackson is involved.
Is The Hunt For Gollum Based On A Tolkien Book?
The New LOTR Movie Will Need To Flesh Out J.R.R. Tolkien's Writings
While The Hunt for Gollum has a basis in Tolkien's writings, it isn't drawing its narrative from a specific book. There's no novel that outlines the search for Gollum in depth, though Tolkien does reference this history in his appendices and The Fellowship of the Ring. With that in mind, Jackson's movie will need to expand on Tolkien's established history in order to deliver a feature-length film. Jackson clearly has a strong grip on The Lord of the Rings and its backstory, so that shouldn't be an issue. But it does raise questions about the new content fans will get when the new movie debuts.
Source: Variety
