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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsAt least two new films set in Middle-earth have been announced. The clearest date is for The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, which is scheduled to open in theaters on December 17, 2027. A second film, The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past, was announced in 2026, but its release date has not been established in the available report.
When is the next Lord of the Rings movie coming out?
The Hunt for Gollum is scheduled for a theatrical release on December 17, 2027. Fathom Entertainment and Warner Bros. listed that date, and Variety reported in July 2026 that production was underway in New Zealand. The date is a planned release, not a guarantee; the film’s earlier 2024 target of 2026 has been superseded. Fathom Entertainment · Variety
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What is confirmed about The Hunt for Gollum?
Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema announced the project in May 2024 as the first of two planned Middle-earth films, in partnership with Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens. It was initially described under the working title The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. Andy Serkis was announced as director and star, with Walsh and Boyens writing alongside Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou. The 2024 announcement
Director, production, and reported cast
Variety reported in July 2026 that Serkis was directing and returning as Gollum, and that production had begun in New Zealand. Variety also reported that Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood, and Lee Pace would return as Gandalf, Frodo, and Thranduil, respectively. Kate Winslet, Jamie Dornan, Leo Woodall, and Anya Taylor-Joy were named among the new cast. These are reported cast details, not a full official studio cast list in the cited announcement. Variety
What the title does—and does not—tell you
The project’s title centers Gollum, but the cited announcements do not provide a full plot synopsis. They establish the film’s creative team, its production status, and its planned theatrical date; they do not establish a streaming service or streaming date.
What is the second Lord of the Rings movie?
The Lord of the Rings: Shadow of the Past was announced in March 2026. The Associated Press reported that Stephen Colbert, Philippa Boyens, and Peter McGee were working on its screenplay. AP described the premise as a new adventure for Sam, Merry, and Pippin, set 14 years after Frodo’s passing. The report gives no release date. Associated Press
Colbert said he had repeatedly returned to six early chapters of The Fellowship of the Ring that were not developed for the first film. That identifies an inspiration for the project, not a complete account of its plot or a confirmation that the film will directly adapt all six chapters.
How far along are the two films?
| Film | What has been reported | Release information |
|---|---|---|
| The Hunt for Gollum | Production underway in New Zealand by July 2026, according to Variety; Serkis directing and returning as Gollum; cast details reported by Variety. | Scheduled for theaters on December 17, 2027, according to Fathom and Warner Bros. |
| Shadow of the Past | Announced in 2026; AP reported screenplay work by Colbert, Boyens, and McGee, and a premise involving Sam, Merry, and Pippin. | No release date stated in the AP report. |
The projects are at different stages of public disclosure: one has a reported production start and scheduled theatrical date, while the other has announced writers and a reported premise.
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Will the new Lord of the Rings movies stream?
The confirmed release information for The Hunt for Gollum is theatrical. The cited reports do not name a streaming platform or give a streaming date, so its eventual streaming availability remains unannounced in those sources. No comparable streaming details are established for Shadow of the Past.
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- The Lord Of The Rings
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