(Doing my best Gollum impression*) “We’s is going to see them stupid fat hobbitses on the big screens again!“
That’s right, a new live-action film set in the Tolkien universe of The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings is coming.
The film will be the first time we’ve seen a return to Tolkien’s universe in live action on the big screen since 2014’s Battle of the Five Armies. The last Lord of the Rings film, Return of the King, released back in 2003 and since then the franchise has received lukewarm reception to some of its other projects. The Hobbit trilogy has garnered mixed responses as the team took a relatively small book and stretched it into 3 2-hour plus films. Plus with the newest Amazon series Rings of Power getting consistently low audience reviews (it currently sits at 49% on Rotten Tomatoes), it’s sad to say the news of this newest film hasn’t come with the immediate praised and excitement that the studio may have liked.
The newest film in the Tolkien universe, titled The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, will tell the tale of Sméagol’s story, set in between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings films. The film is currently set to be directed by Andy Serkis, beloved Sméagol actor himself and we can safely assume that this will mean he is also set to star in it. Peter Jackson is also set to return behind the scenes as a producer and writer. Jackson on the topic of what the films story will entail said:
“We really want to explore Gollum’s backstory and delve into those parts of his journey we didn’t have time to cover in the earlier films… It’s too soon to know who will cross his path, but suffice to say we will take our lead from original author J.R.R. Tolkien.”
It’s been discussed that several other key characters from the original Lord of the Rings trilogy could see a return, or even get their own film. Producer Philippa Boyens has even explicitly stated that she expects Gandalf to appear at some stage in two live-action films, maybe accidentally giving away that plans for more films are already in the works. (No word yet on if Ian McKellen would return to fill the role)
The film was originally slated to be released sometime in 2026, however its since been announced that there has been a delay in this unexpected journey. With the film being pushed back to 2027, but with a set release date of December 17th.
Who knows what’s in store for the Tolkien universe going forward. I for one am looking at this with extreme cautious optimism, whilst the original books and trilogy of The Lord of the Rings are very dear to my heart, myself and many others worry about how these films could impact the franchise as a whole if done incorrectly. But only time will tell, and despite my worry, I’ll still be the first in line at the cinema when December 17th of 2027 comes around.
You can catch The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum when it hits theatres on the 17th of December, 2027.
