"The Hunt for Gollum," the latest installment in the expanded "Lord of the Rings" franchise, will be hitting box offices on Dec 17, 2027. Warner Bros. has confirmed that the eagerly anticipated motion picture will be directed by and star Andy Serkis, marking Serkis’ triumphant return to his legendary character, Gollum.

The film was initially slated for a 2026 release but has been delayed by a year. Known for his critically acclaimed directorial ventures, such as “Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle” and “Venom: Let There Be Carnage," Serkis will be taking over behind the camera and will also be reprising his iconic role, though now through motion capture technology.

The return of Gollum in a December release aligns with the pattern of Peter Jackson's initial "Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" trilogies, all of which made their grand debuts ahead of Christmas to considerable worldwide commercial success.

The braintrust behind the original "Lord of the Rings" trilogy - Peter Jackson, along with his partners Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens - are in the producer's chairs for the upcoming film. They've assured fans that their involvement will be hands-on. Boyens says the film will navigate uncharted territory in the Middle-Earth timeline, capturing a dramatic, untold story through Gollum's lens. Casting updates are awaited as previous cast members like Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, and Viggo Mortensen have expressed potential interest in reprising their roles, if plausible for the storyline.

The last time "The Lord of the Rings" franchise graced theaters was with the anime adaptation "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim," in December 2024. This makes "The Hunt for Gollum" the first live-action "Rings" film since "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" in 2014.