New ‘Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’ expected to be released in 2026

Andy Serkis is going back to Middle-earth to play Gollum in two new “Lord of the Rings” films.

Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group’s Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy said Thursday that Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, the Oscar-winning team behind the “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” trilogies, will produce and Serkis will direct.

“Yesssss, Precious,” Serkis said in a statement. “The time has come once more to venture into the unknown with my dear friends, the extraordinary...