Overview

• Sir Ian McKellen announced at London’s For the Love of Fantasy event that Gandalf and Frodo will appear in Andy Serkis’ upcoming film The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.
• Studio insiders and Serkis himself indicate cameras are expected to roll in May 2026 as the project moves from development into pre-production.
• Andy Serkis remains confirmed as director and will reprise his motion-capture role as Gollum, steering a narrative drawn from Tolkien’s appendices.
• Original-trilogy guardians Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens continue as producers and writers to preserve the creative DNA of the films.
• Warner Bros. has only officially confirmed Serkis among the cast, while McKellen’s and Elijah Wood’s returns remain reported but unverified by the studio.