'The Hunt for Gollum': Why Andy Serkis Is Directing the Next 'Lord of the Rings' Movie, Not Peter Jackson

Peter Jackson, director of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies, recently shared why he won't be directing The Hunt for Gollum.

The upcoming film will follow Strider/Aragorn's (Jamie Dornan) quest to capture Gollum (formerly Sméagol) before he can reveal the Ring's location to Sauron. Andy Serkis will not only reprise his role as Gollum but also direct the movie.

Peter Jackson Explains Why He's Not Directing 'The Hunt for Gollum'

While accepting an honorary Palme d'Or at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, Jackson explained why he chose not to direct The Hunt for Gollum, saying it would be more interesting if Gollum himself (Serkis) directed it.

'I thought, well, this story would actually be more interesting if Gollum himself directed it — and Andy is about as close as you can get. The film is very much an internal story about Gollum's psychology and his sort of addiction. It's a very personal story to Gollum the character. And so I thought, well, Andy knows this guy better than anybody,' Jackson said.

The Lord of the Rings director also said he did not even consider helming the project himself.

'I didn't really think much about the idea of me doing it at all. I thought the most exciting version of this movie is going to be if Andy Serkis makes it, because he's going to put a Gollum psychology on screen that you cannot imagine,' he said.

However, while Jackson isn't directing the film, he remains involved as a producer, lending his support without interfering.

'I mean, I'm there to help when I can help. If I can be of assistance at certain times and answer questions, I'm there. But I don't interfere,' he said.

Additionally, Jackson also shared his thoughts about AI and noted that the ongoing debate surrounding it is partly why Serkis will not win awards for his performance as Gollum.

'I don't dislike it at all. I mean, to me, it's just a special effect. It's no different from other special effects,' he said.

'A lot of the current environment, everyone's so worried about AI ... I don't think a Gollum-type character or a generated character has any hope for winning any awards. Which is a bit unfair, especially in the Andy Serkis case where it's not an AI-generated performance, it's a human-generated performance 100% of the way,' Jackson added.

About 'The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum'

'Our film takes place between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and it's The Hunt for Gollum, and it is a physical hunt for the character, but also a psychological hunt for himself,' Serkis told ScreenRant.

Returning cast members from the franchise include Elijah Wood as Frodo Baggins, Ian McKellen as Gandalf, and Lee Pace as Thranduil.

Jamie Dornan will be joining the film as Aragorn, a role previously played by Viggo Mortensen. Other new cast members include Kate Winslet as Marigol and Leo Woodall as Halvard.

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is set to be released in theatres on 17 December 2027.

Additionally, fans can look forward to Season 3 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which is set to premiere on Prime Video on 11 November 2026.