A new Lord of the Rings movie has been announced for 2026
It has been revealed that Warner Bros. is working on a new Lord of the Rings movie and it could be released as soon as 2026. This is the first new live action Lord of the Rings film since 2003's The Return of the King.
Warner Bros. has officially announced that it will be returning to Middle-earth with a new series of "Lord of the Rings" films set to release in 2026. During a recent quarterly earnings call of Warner Bros. Discovery, CEO David Zaslav revealed that the script development of these films is already underway. The project is currently for two movies which will
The initial movie has been given the working title of "Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum" and will see Andy Serkis reprise his role as Gollum. Serkis' input will not stop there, he will also be directing the film. It has also been confirmed that Peter Jackson, alongside his wife Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens will also return to play integral roles in the development of these films. Walsh and Boyens will be writing the screenplay. This marks the return of the seasoned Middle-earth writing team who's last outing was the The Hobbit series which finished with "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" in 2014.
Jackson expressed enthusiasm about revisiting Middle-earth, especially with Serkis, calling it "an honor and a privilege." Serkis, too, shared his excitement about reuniting with Jackson, Walsh and Boyens: "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… it's just all too delicious…".
Zaslav highlighted the "Lord of the Rings" franchise as one of the most successful and esteemed, presenting substantial prospects for Warner Bros.' theatrical segment. The original live action trilogy was released between 2001 and 2003 and earned more than $2.9bn worldwide and winning 17 Academy Awards. The deal to develop these films follows an agreement with the rights holders, Embracer Group AB, to explore new narratives based on J.R.R. Tolkien's celebrated series. Another upcoming Lord of the Rings film is the animated: The Lord of the Rings: The War of Rohirrim which will be released in 2024.
The announcement assures fans that the legacy of Tolkien's work will continue with the same respect for his literary vision, a commitment echoed by Warner Bros. film chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy. This news arrives amidst developments that Amazon is also looking to expand the "Lord of the Rings" universe beyond "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power", the second season of which will be released in 2024. All we can say is that the future is certainly bright for Lord of the Rings fans !