Elijah Wood as Frodo holds up the one ring in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

The Lord of the Rings franchise has received an exciting update from its screenwriter. It was revealed that another film could be in the works, following the release of The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt For Gollum. Unfortunately, the movie’s title doesn’t have a name yet, and it’s still unknown what it will be about.

In an interview with Empire, Lord of the Rings screenwriter Philippa Boyens stated that the comment made by Sir Ian McKellan was a misunderstanding. She clarified that The Hunt For Gollum isn’t split into two parts, but rather, the second film is a separate live-action feature that has yet to be confirmed. The only reason for the confusion is because the team began to work on the concept.

“I can tell you definitively it isn’t two films! That was a genuine misunderstanding that happened because we’ve begun to work, conceptually, on two different live-action films. The first being The Hunt For Gollum , the second one still to be confirmed.”

The Lord of The Rings has been a successful media franchise, with the original trilogy generating over $2.964 billion at the global box office. Following the trilogy’s success, The Hobbit trilogy was released, generating another $2.9 billion worldwide. Both trilogies were directed by Peter Jackson, which led to him winning “Best Director” and “Best Picture” for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King at the 2004 Academy Awards.

What Do We Know About ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’?

A still from The Two Towers of Gollum, played by actor Andy Serkis, crouched down smiling menacingly. 
Image via New Line Cinema

In May 2024, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav confirmed that a new Lord of the Rings project is in the works. The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is currently the working title for the upcoming project, with Andy Serkis set to direct the project, as well as to reprise his role as Gollum. It was also confirmed that Jackson would be involved in the franchise, along with his writing partners, Fran Walsh and Boyens.

Jackson has shared what the film’s potential plot would be, stating that it would probably focus on the contrasting personalities of Gollum and Sméagol. Boyens added to this, saying it’s set in between Bilbo’s birthday and the Mines of Moria and plans to tell this huge chunk of Gollum’s untold story.

“It’s quite an intense story, which falls after the birthday party of Bilbo and before the Mines Of Moria. It’s a specific chunk of incredible untold story, told through the perspective of this incredible creature.”

It has yet to be confirmed if McKellen will return as Gandalf in the upcoming feature. In addition, Orlando Bloom has expressed interest in returning to Middle Earth through this project, even if it means having to use AI. Unfortunately, Hugo Weaving has revealed he has no plans to return to the franchise. So far, Serkis is the only name attached to the project, and it’s still uncertain if the feature will introduce new characters or bring back familiar faces.

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt For Gollum has yet to announce a release date. Follow Collider to keep up to date with the latest updates.