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The clock above counts down to The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum on December 17, 2027, Warner Bros.' return to Middle-earth with Andy Serkis directing and reprising Gollum, opening in cinemas worldwide.
Hunt for Gollum is the first new live-action Lord of the Rings feature since Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy concluded in 2014. Warner Bros. Discovery and New Line Cinema confirmed Andy Serkis to direct and star as the title character, with Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens returning as producers and co-writers. The film slots into a December 17, 2027 release, the same calendar position the original Lord of the Rings trilogy occupied two decades earlier.
The story is set in the gap between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, dramatizing Gandalf and Aragorn's quest to capture Gollum before Sauron's servants can extract the Ring's location from him. Material referenced in the appendices of Tolkien's original novels gives the project a canonical foundation while leaving room for the production team to extend the world.
Per Warner Bros. announcements, Andy Serkis returns as Gollum using motion-capture and practical performance, with Ian McKellen reportedly in talks to reprise Gandalf and Viggo Mortensen rumored to return as Aragorn. Expect a tighter, more pursuit-driven story than the trilogy's grand-canvas battles, shot largely in New Zealand with WETA Workshop and WETA FX returning to handle creature design and visual effects. Tone is reportedly leaning toward the darker, hunted register of The Two Towers' Gollum scenes.
Hunt for Gollum opens in cinemas worldwide on December 17, 2027 in standard, IMAX, Dolby Cinema, and premium large-format presentations through Warner Bros. Pictures. A streaming release on Max is expected roughly 70 to 90 days after theatrical, with international windows generally aligned with the US date.
For other major late-2027 releases, see the Avengers: Secret Wars countdown for the same exact date and the Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse countdown for the summer prior. Fantasy fans should also follow the Narnia countdown, the Frozen 3 countdown, and the Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey countdown for another 2026 IMAX-event release.
When does Hunt for Gollum release? December 17, 2027 in cinemas worldwide. Where can I watch Hunt for Gollum? Exclusively in theaters first, with a Max streaming release expected in early 2028. Is Hunt for Gollum confirmed? Yes. Warner Bros. has the date locked, Andy Serkis directs, and Peter Jackson is producing. Where does Hunt for Gollum fit in Tolkien's timeline? It is set between The Hobbit and The Fellowship of the Ring, dramatizing Aragorn's hunt for Gollum.
