The greatest responsibility of 2026’sThe Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollumis to answer one critical question. Over a decade afterThe Battle of the Five Armieswas released in theaters to mixed reviews,Warner Bros. is finally taking a stab at another movie based on the world of J.R.R Tolkien’s prolific fantasy novels. This will be separate from Amazon Prime Video’sThe Rings of Powerseries, which is currently running its second season. 2024 will also see the premiere ofThe Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrimmovie.

WhileJ.R.R. Tolkien’sLord of the Ringsbookshave a wealth of world-building and lore that are still being examined decades after his passing, there are only a handful of proper novels. The reasonThe Lord of the Ringsmovies were undoubtedly worth adapting was because the material could be transferred from book to film without requiring much change. Everything in the recent wave of Tolkien adaptions, includingThe Hunt for Gollum’sproduction,requires a significant deal of speculation and invention from its screenwriters, creating an inherent issue.

Gandalf in Lord of the Rings

The Hunt For Gollum Needs To Answer Why It’s An Important Addition To LOTR

The Hunt For Gollum Needs To Be More Than Just A LOTR Void Filler

The biggest question forThe Hunt for Gollumto answer is why this movie needs to be made. Thestory behindThe Hunt for Gollumexists within the text ofThe Lord of the Ringsnovels and the appendices ofThe Return of the King, but it’s essentially just a blip of exposition. Whether it’s further study of Gollum’s character, something to contribute thematically to the original trilogy, or something else,the film needs to be more than just “moreLord of the Rings.”

How Gandalf Is Returning In 2026’s New Lord Of The Rings Movie

News has surrounded Gandalf’s return in The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. Here’s what the film’s story is and how Gandalf fits into it.

There are some significant reasons to think positively aboutThe Hunt for Gollum.Andy Serkis will be directing, and he’s clearly passionate about playing Smeagoland expanding on the character’s story. Not to mention,The Lord of the Ringstrilogy director Peter Jackson is involved as a producer, so there will be trusted creative leads engaged in the process. That’s all very promising, but they still need to deliver a feature that’s worthy of their previous installments and, of course, Tolkien’s books.

4 Lord of the Rings Stories That Would Have Been Better Than a Gollum Spinoff

The Writers Must Eliminate The Biggest Concerns About 2026’s Lord Of The Rings Movie

They Need To Prove This Is A Story Worth People’s Time

The fact that they’re transforming this into a feature film raises immediate questions, especially with Warner Bros.’s recent prerogative of utilizing their major IP titles more frequently. This movie has already received fair skepticism for milking the franchise and needs to prove that it isn’t. Love it or hate it, at leastThe Rings of Poweris exploring an era of Tolkien’s world that hasn’t been seen on film yet, and the same can be said aboutThe War of the Rohirrim.The Hunt for Gollumis going right back to where they started.

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum

Cast

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is an upcoming fantasy adventure film that delves into the story of Gollum’s obsession with the One Ring.

Lord of the Rings The Hunt for Gollum Teaser Poster