The Lord of the Rings universe will expand as multiple movies and shows are released in the coming years.
For some time, the only live-action Lord of the Rings projects fans had were Peter Jackson's original Lord of the Rings trilogy. Years later, the three Hobbit films came along.
However, the near future is brighter than ever, as different projects covering multiple time periods of Middle-earth history have been confirmed to be in the works.
Every Confirmed & Rumored Upcoming Lord of the Rings Project
The Rings of Power Seasons 3-5
When Amazon Prime Video's The Rings of Power first premiered, it was planned to be a five-season project. However, due to how expensive just Season 1 was, it had to perform well to be renewed for future installments.
Overall, Amazon was pleased with the viewership The Rings of Power brought in, as the company greenlit a second and third season of the show. Fans will also be pleased to know that the five-season plan has been doubled down on, so it seems the full vision for the series will be carried out.
Production for Season 3 is expected to begin sometime in the spring, but a release window has not yet been revealed. Since the gap between Seasons 1 and 2 was around two years, fans can likely expect Season 3 to premiere sometime in the second half of 2026 (read more about Elrond and Galadriel's potential familial relationship in Rings of Power).
The Hunt for Gollum
Despite some beliefs, Peter Jackson is not directly involved with The Rings of Power. However, the Middle-earth veteran will be returning for a film titled The Hunt for Gollum, which will be set during the events of The Fellowship of the Ring (after Bilbo's birthday but before the Fellowship embarks on their journey).
Jackson will not direct the upcoming movie, though. That role will be filled by Andy Serkis, who played Gollum (aka Smeagol) in The Lord of the Rings movies and The Hobbit.
Serkis has also been confirmed to return to star as Gollum in the project, and it is possible that other Lord of the Rings cast members could return as well. Gandalf actor Ian McKellen (who was just announced for Avengers: Doomsday) has already expressed great interest in returning, and many hope to see Viggo Mortensen and Orlando Bloom also reprise their roles as Aragorn and Legolas.
The film was initially announced for 2026 but was pushed back to 2027, per Serkis in February 2025.
Untitled Lord of the Rings Movies
When Warner Bros. first announced that The Hunt for Gollum was in the works, CEO David Zaslav also indicated that other films set in Middle-earth would be developed later.
The future slate of Lord of the Rings projects will likely depend on how well The Hunt for Gollum performs, but as of writing, Warner Bros. plans to return to the franchise with more films.
The basis of these movies has not yet been revealed, but Warner Bros.' announcement alluded to their being based on J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit, so it can be assumed that these future projects will be set somewhere in that part of the timeline.
