Peter Jackson Explains Why He Isn't Directing the Next 'Lord of the Rings' Movie
Jackson said the film’s psychological focus on Gollum made Serkis the stronger choice, and he will give the actor-director broad freedom.
- Andy Serkis will direct The Hunt for Gollum, scheduled for release on December 17, 2027, as Peter Jackson steps back to produce the film.
- Jackson passed on directing to avoid retreading ground, believing Serkis knows Gollum's psychology better than anyone and will deliver the most exciting version.
- While Jackson remains involved as producer, production begins in New Zealand with returning stars Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Elijah Wood as Frodo, and Lee Pace reprising Thranduil.
- Speaking at Cannes Film Festival, Jackson defended motion-capture performances, arguing it is unfair that Serkis has no award hope due to AI fears when his work is human-generated 100% of the way.
- Jackson is writing a second Tintin film script while The Lord of the Rings: Shadows of the Past, co-written by Stephen Colbert, will follow Hunt for Gollum in theaters.
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16 Articles
Peter Jackson explains why he isn't directing the next 'Lord of the Rings' movie
"I didn't really think much about the idea of me doing it at all," the director said of "The Hunt for Gollum."Peter Jackson at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival.Credit: Sameer Al-Doumy/AFP via GettyKey PointsPeter Jackson said he "didn't really think about the idea" of directing The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in the previous films, is helming the project instead."I thought, well, this story would actually b…
Peter Jackson, who was awarded an honorary Palme d'Or at Cannes, is also on the Cote d'Azur these days. The director also spoke about why he didn't take on the role of directing The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. "I could have directed it, but I thought, I've already done that."
The New Zealander Peter Jackson gave it all this Wednesday morning in Cannes for two hours after receiving last night the Palm of Gold in honor. And what seemed to be the celebration of the career of a filmmaker who has been overshadowed by a great achievement, the saga The Lord of the Rings, who has hidden other cinematographic triumphs, has ended up becoming a talk in which he has not haggled to talk about his future or other hot topics, such …
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