Andy Serkis' new Gollum-centric Lord of the Rings movie gets a precious December 2027 release date

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is officially releasing in 2027.

As reported by Variety, the next journey to Middle-earth – both starring and directed by Gollum actor Andy Serkis – will drop on December 17, 2027. That mirrors both Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies, which both released in the holiday season.

Little is known about Hunt for Gollum so far, other than it filling in the off-screen, Smeagol-centric gaps between Frodo setting off after Bilbo's party at the outset of The Fellowship of the Ring and the Fellowship then arriving at the Mines of Moria.

"It’s a specific chunk of incredible untold story, told through the perspective of this incredible creature," Lord of the Rings writer Philippa Boyens previously told Empire.

Legacy Lord of the Rings actors have also spoken candidly about potentially returning for The Hunt for Gollum, with Gandalf's Sir Ian McKellen saying he would "love" to go back – but needed to see a script first.

"I would love to go back. I would love to go back to New Zealand, number one. I also don't like the idea of anyone else playing [Gandalf]," McKellen said during an appearance on This Morning.

Similarly, Aragon actor Viggo Mortensen would also be open to a comeback – but only if it was right for his character.

"I would only do it if I was right for it in terms of, you know, the age I am now and so forth. I would only do it if I was right for the character. It would be silly to do it otherwise," Mortensen told GQ UK.

Hinting at what's to come upon the initial announcement, Peter Jackson – who is producing The Hunt for Gollum – teased to Deadline: "We really want to explore his backstory and delve into those parts of his journey we didn’t have time to cover in the earlier films. It’s too soon to know who will cross his path, but suffice to say we will take our lead from Professor Tolkien."

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is set for release on December 17, 2027, with more Lord of the Rings films planned.

For more, check out our guide to movie release dates.