Peter Jackson is set to produce The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum for Warner Bros., with Andy Serkis directing and Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens joining as writers and producers. The creative team behind the original film trilogy is returning to bring the story to life.
In an interview with Deadline, Jackson discussed the story they are trying to tell and shared why they wanted to explore Gollum's tragic journey.
"The character of Gollum/Sméagol has always fascinated me because Gollum reflects the worst of human nature, while his Sméagol side is, without a doubt, quite sympathetic," Jackson explained.
"I think it resonates with both readers and movie audiences, because there’s a little bit of both in all of us," Jackson said. "We really want to explore his past and delve into those parts of his journey that we haven’t had time to cover in the previous films."
While specific plot details remain unconfirmed, Jackson indicated that the production will follow source material written by J.R.R. Tolkien. "It’s too early to know who will cross his path, but suffice it to say, we’ll be taking a cue from Professor Tolkien," Jackson added.
Selecting Andy Serkis as Director
Jackson also discussed bringing Serkis on board to direct the film, highlighting their past collaboration. Serkis previously served as second unit director alongside Jackson on The Hobbit trilogy.
"Andy was a joy to work with as Second Unit Director on The Hobbit," Jackson said. "He has the energy, the imagination and, above all, an intrinsic understanding of the world of the story necessary to return to Middle-earth."
Jackson noted that the pair have collaborated on eight films together throughout their careers. "There is no one on this planet better equipped to tackle the story of Gollum than Andy," Jackson said.
Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens are writing the screenplay alongside Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou. Gittins and Papageorgiou also wrote the upcoming animated film The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim.
Developing Gollum's Story
Boyens expressed excitement about returning to Middle-earth to focus on Gollum. "Gollum’s story is one of the most compelling for us in terms of a character that we couldn’t delve into as much as we wanted before, which feels strange when you say that, given how familiar it is to everyone," Boyens said.
Boyens explained that Gollum's lifespan takes place during a significant period in Middle-earth. When the opportunity arose to develop a new film with Warner Bros. and executives from the original trilogy, this narrative was their immediate choice.
"Because I can tell you, and people might not believe it, but we had no expectation of going back to this," Boyens said.
Boyens also spoke about returning to work with Warner Bros. and the studio executives who collaborated on the original films.
Decisions Behind the Directing Role
"Pete always admired Andy’s abilities as a director," Boyens said. "That’s why he asked him to shoot his second unit."
"It was a breeze," Boyens added. "He was never about: why Andy? It was like, please, God, let Andy say yes."
Boyens noted that Jackson decided he did not want to direct the film himself after enjoying his work with director Kenji Kamiyama on War of the Rohirrim. Once Jackson made that decision, the team focused entirely on Serkis.
"As soon as Pete decided, okay, I’m not going to direct it myself, and it’s going to be the Gollum story, I swear to God, there was nobody else but Andy Serkis," Boyens said.
"There’s no one else you can think of who knows what’s in that character and we know what he brings to it and the whole world of Middle Earth," Boyens said. "Andy will have a really interesting take. It will be an interpretation of him, because what we don’t want this film to be is only the fourth film in the trilogy."
"This movie has to work in its own way," Boyens said. "And this is our job. This is what we will have to be able to do."
"I know there’s a lot of people out there who will say, oh no, why do they do that? Why do they come back?" Boyens added. "Well, that’s our job, to demonstrate why we think it’s a good idea."
Andy Serkis on Directing and Legacy
Serkis discussed receiving the opportunity to direct The Hunt for Gollum, expressing appreciation for the creative team's honesty and pursuit of excellence. "I’m very honored that they asked me to come back. I really am," Serkis said. "I love them as filmmakers because they are honest. They always go for the truth."
"They are the hardest-working people on the planet and their pursuit of excellence is never-ending, and now I can help them reach that bar again," Serkis said.
"It was actually Philippa who called me first and said: look, this is what we’re thinking about," Serkis added. "And I was flushed with a sort of, oh my God, I’m going back there. Yes, it was an amazing time."
Serkis noted that Gollum has remained a constant presence throughout his career. Over the years, he has narrated audiobooks for the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit, and The Silmarillion.
"And the character in particular has remained a huge part of my life," Serkis said. "So it’s absolutely thrilling to be able to go back and dive into his world again, and specifically the psychology of Gotham."
"I know we’re all interested in investigating on a deeper level who that character is and, more importantly, being able to direct and hopefully create a film that has its place within the canon, but also something that both fresh and new. and a different approach," Serkis added.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is scheduled for release in 2026.
