‘The Lord of the Rings’ 2026 Box Office Bodes Well For ‘The Hunt for Gollum’

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As a huge movie fan, I was thrilled to see Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy back in theaters! It’s hard to believe The Fellowship of the Ring turned 25 recently – the original came out way back in December 2001. To celebrate, Fathom Entertainment and Warner Bros. brought all three films – both the extended and theatrical cuts – to the big screen in January 2026. It was a short run, but people clearly still love Middle-earth, because the re-release earned a fantastic $10 million at the box office!

The recent re-release of the film, shown over two weekends (January 16-18 and 23-25), was a big hit, even doing better than brand new movies like Greenland 2: Migration. The first weekend featured extended versions, followed by the original theatrical cuts. A special treat for fans was an introduction and behind-the-scenes stories recorded by director Peter Jackson. He shared some fun facts, like how Viggo Mortensen cleverly concealed a black eye during filming of the cave troll scene in The Fellowship of the Ring.

Let’s talk about what these recent updates mean for the new film, The Hunt for Gollum. But first, here’s a quick rundown of what the movie is about.

‘The Hunt for Gollum’ Taps Into Tolkien’s Appendices


New Line Cinema

The new Lord of the Rings film, titled The Hunt for Gollum, is now expected to be released in theaters on December 17, 2027. Originally, Warner Bros. planned to release it in 2026, but the date was moved to allow more time for creating the visual effects. This time, Andy Serkis will direct the movie, taking over from Peter Jackson who directed the previous films.

The new movie acts as a backstory to The Fellowship of the Ring, taking place between the events of The Hobbit and the original Lord of the Rings trilogy. It will cover the 17-year period from Bilbo’s 111th birthday to Frodo’s departure from the Shire. The story largely comes from material found in the appendices of Tolkien’s work, focusing on Aragorn’s adventures as a ranger while tracking Gollum across Middle-earth.

While Peter Jackson won’t be directing, he’s still a key part of the project as a consultant and producer. So far, Sir Ian McKellen (Gandalf) and Elijah Wood (Frodo) have confirmed they’ll be involved. Viggo Mortensen, who played Aragorn, has suggested he might not return, potentially because the story is a prequel and addresses the character’s age. Orlando Bloom, who played Legolas, wants to reprise his role, but it hasn’t been officially confirmed yet. Filming will take place in New Zealand to maintain the look and feel of the original Lord of the Rings films.

‘Hunt for Gollum’ Is Likely to Match the Success of the Previous Movies


Independent Online Cinema

The strong box office performance in 2026 proves that audiences still love this franchise, even 25 years after the first movie, The Fellowship of the Ring, came out. The upcoming film, The Hunt for Gollum, is expected to be just as popular when it’s released in 2027, likely leading to high pre-sales and potentially record-breaking opening weekend numbers, rivaling or surpassing previous installments.

As a huge fan, I’m thrilled with the recent success! Warner Bros. really needed this win. There was some worry after The War of the Rohirrim didn’t perform well – it only made $20 million worldwide on a $30 million budget, and people started to think maybe we were getting tired of this world. But this proves audiences still love getting lost in it, especially when it’s brought to life with live action! It feels great to see the studio’s decision to expand the franchise get the validation it deserved.

The movie’s success highlights how nostalgia often drives big franchises. Fans who loved the original films were excited to revisit them, and that excitement will likely extend to any new installments. We saw a similar pattern with Avatar: The Way of Water, and we can expect the same here. However, Warner Bros. needs to be prepared for stiff competition from Avengers: Secret Wars, which is coming out around the same time.

A Fan Movie’s Success Also Suggests ‘The Hunt for Gollum’ Will Be a Hit


New Line Cinema

Many people don’t know about a 2009 British fan film called The Hunt for Gollum. It was created by Chris Bouchard, who directed, co-wrote, co-produced, and even composed the music for it. The film centers around Gandalf the Grey, who fears Gollum might tell Sauron about the One Ring. To prevent this, Gandalf sends Aragorn on a mission to locate Gollum.

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Created with a budget of just £3,000, The Hunt for Gollum first appeared at the Sci-Fi-London film festival and was then released online for free. By the end of 2009, it had already been viewed by 5 million people, and that number grew to 14 million by 2025. Chris Bouchard told the BBC that they had an agreement with Tolkien Enterprises: as long as the project remained non-profit, they were given the go-ahead.

The popularity of the fan film online clearly shows people are fascinated by Gollum and enjoy seeing his story unfold. While no one at Warner Bros. has said it directly, the film’s success likely inspired them to consider making an official movie about the search for Gollum. Remarkably, the fan film was made for just £3,000 and still looks great – imagine the potential of a similar story with a $200 million budget! It would be incredible.

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2026-01-25 02:05