Andy Serkis attends a premiere for the film 'Luther: The Fallen Sun', in London, Britain, March 1, 2023.
Credit: Reuters File Photo
Los Angeles: A new Lord of the Rings, focussing on the iconic character Gollum, is being developed by Warner Bros with actor-filmmaker Andy Serkis.
The British star had brought alive the lanky Hobbit-like creature from JRR Tolkien's fantasy novel in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
The new movie, which is tentatively titled Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, will be directed by Serkis. The actor will also reprise the role in the movie, reported entertainment news outlet Variety.
The project is currently in the early stages of script development from writers Walsh and Boyens, along with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou.
During an earnings call Thursday, Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav said the project will 'explore storylines yet to be told', and release in theatres in 2026.
Jackson and his partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens are producing the movie and 'will be involved every step of the way,' he added. It will be executive produced by Ken Kamins, with Serkis and The Imaginarium’s Jonathan Cavendish.
The Hollywood studio had announced in February 2023 that Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy had brokered a deal to make “multiple” films based on the beloved JRR Tolkien books.
Besides The Hunt for Gollum, Warner Bros also has an animated fantasy film, titled The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, arriving in theatres in December this year.