After years of development talk, the new Middle-earth film finally has cameras rolling. Warner Bros. published an official “Start of Production” video on 14 July 2026 confirming that The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum “has officially started production,” and it signs off with the line that matters most for anyone circling a diary: “Only in theaters 17 December 2027.” For UAE audiences, that is now a firm save-the-date.
When can I watch The Hunt for Gollum in UAE cinemas?
The Hunt for Gollum reaches UAE cinemas on 17 Decaember 2027, the same day as the global release. Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema set that theatrical date, and it is being treated industry-wide as the locked global window, from IMDb’s listing to The Hollywood Reporter’s reporting on the studio’s dating of the film. There are no regional delays or distribution complications flagged, so the UAE shares the same 17 December 2027 date as the worldwide rollout.
The confirmed production start is what turns this from a rumour cycle into a genuine calendar entry. Earlier coverage across trades and fan sites dealt in scripts, planned windows and “anticipated” dates that kept shifting; the Warner Bros. video is the first clear on-record statement that filming is underway and the December 2027 date holds.
Who is making it, and where?
Andy Serkis directs and stars, reprising Gollum, with Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens producing. That is the same core creative team behind the original Jackson trilogies, with Walsh and Boyens credited as writers, and the shoot is based in Wellington, New Zealand, where the previous Middle-earth films were made. Pre-production reportedly began in Wellington in September 2025, with principal photography expected to run into October 2026.
The story sits in Tolkien’s timeline between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, following the pursuit of Gollum as Gandalf and Aragorn seek to learn more about the One Ring. Serkis has described the project as a sizeable production requiring a lengthy shoot and post-production ahead of the release, which explains the roughly 18-month runway between cameras rolling and the cinema date.
Who is in the cast?
Ian McKellen is confirmed to reprise Gandalf, and Kate Winslet’s casting as the film’s female lead was reported as confirmed in March 2026, per coverage aggregated on the film’s Wikipedia entry. Elijah Wood is expected to return as Frodo Baggins, though as CBR notes from McKellen’s comments, that has not been officially confirmed by the studio.
Other names remain firmly in the rumour column. Leo Woodall has been reported as a rumoured Aragorn, and Anya Taylor-Joy as a rumoured Arwen — the latter of whom, per IGN Middle East, is approaching the Tolkien books for the first time. Treat those as reported interest rather than settled casting until Warner Bros. says otherwise.
The combination of a returning creative team, a return to Wellington, and the likely presence of Gollum, Gandalf and Frodo makes this the closest thing to a direct continuation of the Jackson films fans have had. For UAE cinemagoers planning ahead, this is one for the 2027 list alongside the other big screen releases worth tracking.
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