We’re heading back to Middle Earth, Lord of the Rings fans! Back in 2024, it came out that Warner Bros. was moving forward with The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. This will be the first live-action movie that’s been set in Middle Earth since The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies came out in 2014, and is set to take place before the events of The Fellowship of the Ring. 

We also know that Andy Serkis will be directing The Hunt for Gollum, as well as reprising his role as the titular Gollum. Peter Jackson is also returning as a producer, with Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh, who penned The Lord of the Rings trilogy, writing the screenplay. But what about Gandalf’s fate? According to Sir Ian McKellan, who plays the wizard, he’s “not in the position to say—but the script is designed to appeal to people who like Lord of the Rings. It’s an adventure story, Aragorn trying to find Gollum with Gandalf directing operations from the sidelines.”

What We Know About The Hunt for Gollum

🚨 BREAKING 🚨

Ian McKellen hints at Hunt For Gollum Plot:

“I’m not in the position to say — but the script is designed to appeal to people who like Lord of the Rings. It’s an adventure story, Aragorn trying to find Gollum with Gandalf directing operations from the sidelines.”… pic.twitter.com/KInIs5kTbH

— The Mellon Heads – LOTR Podcast (@mellon_heads) February 15, 2026

TheOneRing.net previously revealed a leaked synopsis for the upcoming film: “Before the Fellowship, one creature’s obsession holds the key to Middle-earth’s survival — or its demise. In The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, we meet young Smeagol — an outsider drawn to trinkets and mischief—long before The One Ring consumed him and began his tragic descent into the tortured, deceitful creature Gollum. With the ring lost and carried away by Bilbo Baggins, Gollum finds himself compelled to leave his cave in search of it.

Gandalf the Grey calls upon Aragorn, still known as the ranger Strider, to track the elusive creature whose knowledge of the whereabouts of the ring could tip the balance toward the Dark Lord Sauron. Set in the shadowed time between Bilbo’s birthday disappearance and the Fellowship’s formation, this perilous journey through Middle-earth’s darkest corners reveals untold truths, tests the resolve of its future king, and explores the fractured soul and backstory of Gollum, one of Tolkien’s most enigmatic characters.

Directed by original cast member Andy Serkis, produced by Peter Jackson, and written & produced by Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyens — the creative team behind the Oscar-winning trilogy — this live-action movie bridges the beloved films with new characters, returning heroes, and a deeply engaging origin story that resets the stage for, and changes everything you know about the legendary Lord of the Rings trilogy.”

Who Is Returning?

Serkis and McKellen are the only ones currently officially confirmed to return, though Elijah Wood has strongly hinted at a potential return as Frodo. And we do know that the casting of a younger Aragorn, who was formerly played by Viggo Mortensen, is underway. We’re likely going to have to wait a decent amount of time for any news on that particular casting (and we certainly won’t be seeing Sebastian Stan or Ben Barnes as Strider), but hopefully we’ll hear something soon-ish, especially since the movie is scheduled for a December 2027 release.

McKellen also had another update to share about the film, saying, “It’s going to start filming in May. It’s going to be directed by Gollum, and it’s all about Gollum. But I’ll tell you two secrets about the casting. There’s a character in the movie called Frodo and another character called Gandalf, and apart from that, my lips are sealed.”

Are you looking forward to The Hunt for Gollum? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. And don’t forget to check out the ComicBook forum to keep the conversation going with other Lord of the Rings fans.