A The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum update has revealed that another live-action movie in the iconic fantasy franchise is already in development. The movie, which will be directed by Gollum performer Andy Serkis, is part of a new deal between Embracer Group, Warner Bros., and New Line to develop multiple live-action movies in the J.R.R. Tolkien series. In a recent interview, Gandalf star Ian McKellen seemed to reveal that the upcoming Hunt for Gollum will be split into two movies.

In a new interview with Empire, screenwriter Philippa Boyens revealed that The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will be a single movie rather than being split into two. She clarified McKellen’s comments which led to the rumor of the latter by confirming that a second movie is indeed in development, with several of the ideas involving the return of Gandalf, who “would potentially return for two live-action films.” However, while Boyens confirms conceptual work on “two live-action films,” she also seems to say that the movie could be an anime feature. Read her full quote below:

I can tell you definitively it isn’t two films! That was a genuine misunderstanding that happened because we’ve begun to work, conceptually, on two different live-action films. The first being The Hunt For Gollum, the second one still to be confirmed. [The Hunt for Gollum is] quite an intense story, which falls after the birthday party of Bilbo and before the Mines Of Moria. It’s a specific chunk of incredible untold story, told through the perspective of this incredible creature. [For the follow-up feature,] we’re playing around with a number of ideas, but most of those ideas do include Gandalf. So Gandalf would potentially return for two live-action films. We have an absolute banger of a second film that would just be incredible as an anime. But let’s see if there’s an appetite for it.

What This Hunt For Gollum Update Reveals About Lord Of The Rings

The Second Movie’s Premise Remains A Mystery

Custom Image by Dalton Norman

While this deal has always involved the development of multiple Lord of the Rings movies, Boyens’ comments have revealed that The Hunt for Gollum will not form the entirety of what is currently in development in the live-action, feature-length branch of the long-running franchise. While this makes it unclear what the second movie that is in development will entail, the fact that McKellen’s Gandalf may be involved does reveal that the timeline of the project will likely be closer to the original movie trilogy than Prime Video’s The Rings of Power.

The prequel The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power features several returning characters, including Gandalf, but he is played by younger actor Daniel Weyman, as it takes place thousands of years before the events of the original trilogy.

However, the project is clearly in flux at the time of writing, so it remains to be seen how it comes together. As Boyens’ anime comments imply, the movie could be more in line with the upcoming The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, a 2024 animated movie set 200 years before the original trilogy that is set to follow former King of Rohan Helm Hammerhand.

Our Take On The Hunt For Gollum Update

It Does Not Need To Be Two Movies

Ultimately, this update is likely good news for the longevity of the Lord of the Rings franchise. Developing an entirely different second movie and preventing The Hunt for Gollum from being split into two movies will help keep the new movies fresh amid potential oversaturation between Prime Video’s show and animated properties in the franchise. While the decision to split Tolkien’s short novel The Hobbit into a full trilogy was financially lucrative in the 2010s, it resulted in creating the two lowest-rated live-action installments on Rotten Tomatoes, so this decision is probably best for the health of the property.