A New Era of Middle-earth: Major Updates on All Upcoming Lord of the Rings Projects

There has been major news over the last few months in regards to the Lord of the Rings franchise. Updates from both Warner Bros. upcoming projects, namely The Hunt for Gollum and Shadow of the Past and Prime Video’s The Rings of Power. This article provides a summary of the latest updates across the board and what Middle-earth fans can expect and look forward to over the next few years.

Warner Bros. Delves Back Into Middle-earth

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum slated for a December 2027 release has finally found its main cast with Jamie Dornan set to play a young Strider, Leo Woodall as Dúnedain Ranger Halvard, and Kate Winslet as Marigol, alongside returning stars Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Elijah Wood as Frodo, Andy Serkis as Gollum and Lee Pace as Thranduil. Orlando Bloom has still not been announced to be involved with the project and Viggo Mortensen will not be returning as Aragorn.

Behind the camera, Andy Serkis is set to direct The Hunt for Gollum, returning to Middle-earth after famously portraying Gollum in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy and The Hobbit film trilogy. The film is being developed under the guidance of Peter Jackson, alongside longtime collaborators Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, who are all involved in producing the project.

The screenplay is being written by Philippa Boyens, Phoebe Gittins, and Arty Papageorgiou.

Plot details for The Hunt for Gollum remain limited, but the film is set before the main events of The Fellowship of the Ring and follows a younger Aragorn, also known as Strider, on his mission to track down Gollum. The story draws from events referenced in The Lord of the Rings, where Gollum is captured, while also exploring more of Sméagol’s past and introducing new characters connected to the hunt.

The Shadow of the Past

Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema confirmed on Tolkien Reading Day 2026 (25th March) that The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past (*WT) – the second of two upcoming The Lord of the Rings films—will be written by Philippa Boyens, Stephen Colbert, and Peter McGee and produced by WingNut Films in association with Spartina Industries.

Colbert, a lifelong Tolkien devotee, joins forces with the Oscar‑winning architects of the original trilogies—Sir Peter Jackson, Dame Fran Walsh, and Boyens—to bring fans back to the world that shaped a generation with The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past (*WT).

Here is the released synopsis:

The Rings of Power

Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power enters its third installment and has been reported to fulfil its 5-season plan to showcase the rise and fall of Sauron in the Second Age. There have been new cast announcements spanning the last year. Jamie Campbell Bower and Eddie Marsan joining in undisclosed roles, alongside additional cast members Andrew Richardson, Zubin Varla, and Adam Young. While character details remain largely under wraps, Bower is reportedly playing a significant new figure, with Richardson set as a series regular and the others appearing in recurring roles, signalling an expansion of the show’s ensemble as the story moves deeper into the Second Age towards the war of the Elves and Sauron.

Morfydd Clark, Benjamin Walker and Ismael Cruz Cordova

We also have an official synopsis for The Rings of Power Season 3:

Filming finished in November 2025, and the show is currently planned for a Late October/November 2026 release – something Fellowship of Fans can also verify. The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum releases 17th December 2027 in cinemas and begins filming in May in New Zealand. Shadow of the Past is still a while away with filming beginning after the completion of filming for The Hunt for Gollum so a 2029 release date seems most likely at present.

We are entering a new age of Middle-earth across film and television with three projects currently in progress and there will be plenty for Tolkien fans to discuss, theorise and delve into for the next 5 years.