The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum” encounters a challenge following a rescheduled release date. Unlike its latest Lord of the Rings film, the anime “War of the Rohirrim,” which hit theaters in 2024, “The Hunt for Gollum” marks the first live-action movie from the franchise since “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” released back in 2014. Andy Serkis, who portrayed Gollum/Smeagol in the previous films, is now directing this project with Peter Jackson serving as a producer.
The cast for “The Search for Gollum” has been confirmed with Andy Serkis reprising his title character and Ian McKellen set to reappear as Gandalf. This upcoming tale follows Gandalf and Aragorn embarking on a mission to locate Gollum before the incidents involving Frodo Baggins in “The Fellowship of the Ring”. Initially slated for release in December 2026, “The Search for Gollum” has been pushed back to 2027 due to early stages in the scriptwriting process. Unfortunately, a shift in another movie’s production schedule is now causing complications for the next installment of “The Lord of the Rings”.
2027’s Lord Of The Rings Movie Is Now Facing Off With An Avengers Movie
The scheduled release date for “The Hunt for Gollum” is set for December 17, 2027, allowing ample time for its production. On the other hand, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Avengers: Secret Wars” have been pushed back to December 18, 2026 and December 17, 2027 respectively, from their initial dates of May 1, 2026 and May 7, 2027. This shift in release schedule means that “The Hunt for Gollum and Avengers: Secret Wars will both hit theaters on the same day“, a clash that promises an epic showdown between two of the most prominent cultural franchises.
Initially, it appeared as if a box office clash between “Lord of the Rings” and “Star Wars” was imminent in December 2027, with an unnamed “Star Wars” film scheduled for that month. However, the release of “Star Wars: Starfighter,” directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ryan Gosling, in May 2027 has now caused “Star Wars” to no longer have a movie coming out in December 2027. Instead, the main box office rivalry for that month will be between “The Lord of the Rings” and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Lord Of The Rings Cannot Take On Avengers: Secret Wars
Secret Wars Is Expected To Be Another $2 Billion Hit
The “Lord of the Rings” series has a history of being incredibly profitable, as its previous live-action films have grossed nearly or over $1 billion globally. Given that the upcoming film, “The Hunt for Gollum“, is the franchise’s first live-action movie in 13 years and features the comeback of Serkis, McKellen, and likely other original cast members, it seems promising to reach $1 billion too. However, the latest “Avengers” movies, “Infinity War” and “Endgame“, significantly outdid that, with each film grossing more than $2 billion worldwide.
| Movie | Production Budget | Worldwide Box Office |
|---|---|---|
| The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) | $93 million | $894.3 million |
| The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) | $94 million | $921.7 million |
| The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) | $94 million | $1.123 billion |
| The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) | $200 million | $1.014 billion |
| The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013) | $250 million | $959.4 million |
| The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (2014) | $250 million | $940.3 million |
| Avengers: Infinity War (2018) | $325-400 million | $2.048 billion |
| Avengers: Endgame (2019) | $356-400 million | $2.79 billion |
| The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024) | $30 million | $20.6 million |
It’s highly probable that the earnings of Secret Wars will surpass $2 billion, given its large ensemble of well-liked superheroes, its continuation of the Doomsday storyline, and the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga started in 2021. In comparison, The Hunt for Gollum is unlikely to match this financial success. If both movies were to release on the same day, they’d likely struggle at the box office, but Secret Wars might face fewer issues. This isn’t a risk that The Lord of the Rings franchise can afford after the poor box office performance of War of the Rohirrim.
Where Could The Hunt For Gollum Move To?
Moving A Few Weeks Earlier May Not Be Any Better
Each film in both “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” series has been launched in December. Despite the anticipated performance of “War of the Rohirrim”, the franchise chooses to maintain its connection with the December release schedule because it has historically worked out well for them. It’s possible that “The Hunt for Gollum” might be shifted to an earlier date in December 2027, allowing it to establish a strong presence before “Secret Wars” premieres. However, this may still present challenges in terms of maintaining its run at the box office during the competitive holiday season, and it’s likely that it will continue to face struggles during this valuable period.
Moving The Hunt for Gollum to November 2027 is another option, but it might present a unique issue since Frozen III is scheduled for release on November 24. While the fan bases of The Lord of the Rings and Frozen may not overlap significantly compared to The Lord of the Rings and Marvel Cinematic Universe, Frozen is still a prominent franchise with a history of box-office success. To steer clear of both Frozen III and Secret Wars, The Hunt for Gollum could be pushed back to 2028; however, this would be unfortunate given that the film was initially planned for a 2026 release.
WB Should Still Be Confident In The Hunt For Gollum, Despite Its Challenges
The Hunt For Gollum Still Has Tremendous Promise
The postponement of “Secret Wars” has posed a dilemma for “The Hunt for Gollum,” requiring it to set another release date to avoid clashing with an anticipated blockbuster earning over $2 billion. Despite this, Warner Bros. remains optimistic that “The Hunt for Gollum” will be successful. Andy Serkis, who delivered one of the best performances in the “Lord of the Rings” films, is set to reprise his role as Gollum and direct his first movie in the franchise, which adds to the excitement.
Watching Ian McKellen reprise his role as Gandalf is equally thrilling, given both the actor’s enduring popularity and the iconic status of the character in our cultural landscape. While Viggo Mortensen hasn’t confirmed a return as Aragorn yet, considering his significance to the story, it’s quite likely that he will join the cast for The Hunt for Gollum. Many members of the original Lord of the Rings cast have expressed interest in returning, too. The nostalgic appeal of seeing familiar faces tied to the original trilogy should help broaden the movie’s audience appeal.
In hopes of making “The Hunt for Gollum” an engaging tale, it offers additional understanding about Gollum, Gandalf, and Aragorn before their adventures in the books and movies. To maximize its potential, Warner Bros. must create favorable conditions for its success. A key strategy would be scheduling a release date that avoids clashing with an “Avengers” movie concluding the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Multiverse Saga. Ideally, “The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum” should be unveiled at a time when it can flourish without competition.
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2025-05-24 21:51