In 2009, Lord of the Rings diehard fan and indie filmmaker Chris Bouchard created a fan film dubbed The Hunt for Gollum. An unauthorized production, though based on the original J.R.R. Tolkien books, Bouchard made the film on just a $5,000 USD budget and released it free to watch online. The movie has since garnered over 15 million views.
Warner Bros. is now coming out with its own film dedicated to the storyline. With the working title Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, official plot details have yet to be revealed but it’s likely the movie will similarly center on Gandalf’s search for Gollum.
Slated to release in 2026, the film is still in the early stages of development and a script is underway. Andy Serkis, who portrayed Gollum in the original films, is set to direct and reprise his role.
Peter Jackson, who directed the original trilogy, is also on board as a producer, alongside his partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. Serkis, Ken Kamins and Jonathan Cavendish are executive producing.
