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TheLord of the Ringsfranchiseis setto add another project to its league, whichis setto be out in 2026. TitledLord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, it is starring and directed by original Gollum actor Andy Serkis. However, the project is garnering a negative spotlight due to what Warner Bros did after announcing the project.
Just one day after the studio announced the upcoming project,a fan-made movie of the same name was taken downfrom YouTube, which didn’t fit well among fans.
A NewLord of the RingsMovie HasBeen Announced!
The originalThe Lord of the Ringstrilogyfilmmaker,Peter Jackson and his partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens are producing the upcomingLord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.As reported byVariety, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav made a surprise announcement during its first-quarter earnings conference call, sharing that the trio will“be involved every step of the way.”
The Hunt for Gollum: Andy Serkis’ Next Lord of the Rings Movie Can Bring Back 2 Major Characters from the Original Trilogy Including Gandalf the Grey
Walsh and Boyens are working on the movie script along with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou,whichis currently in the early stages, exploring“storylines yet tobe told.”
Apart from releasing the working movie title, the studio has also announced AndySerkis’sreturn in his iconic titular role, who will also be sitting in thedirector’schair. He is also serving as executive producer along with KenKamins,and TheImaginarium’sJonathan Cavendish.
WhileSerkis’snew project soundspromising, avid fans would feel mixed emotions as the studio filed a copyright strike against a fan-made movie of the same name.
The Hunt for GollumFan-Made Film HasBeen Taken Down!
While the WB announced this project last Thursday, fans of the franchise are familiar with the title, thanks to a 2009 fan-made movie, which garnered positive views on YouTube.
“What the hell is this movie even going to be about?”: Andy Serkis’ New Gollum Movie Leaves All Lord of the Rings Fans Confused
The movie would have likely contained the same story concept but has nowbeen blockeddue to copyright grounds. Directed by Chris Bouchard, the now-deleted video spans 39 minutes, garnering 13.6 million views (viaIGN)on the streaming platform before it got hauled.
The page reads,
“This video contains content from Warner Bros. Entertainment, who has blocked it on copyright grounds.”
As the studio brings a new project for fans to enjoy, they take away a precious project from them, which is whatthey’reunhappy about. Taking toX(formerly Twitter), online commentators reflected on how this decision is“peak capitalism.“
Check out the tweets here.
Copying content from YouTube and then using their money and power. Peak capitalism.
— Himanshu Pareek (@Sports_Himanshu)June 22, 2025
I’m sorry but how do you steal someone’s title from 15yrs ago and act like it was Your idea…
— mystique (@mystic_k9)June 20, 2025
Thanks for reminding us how horrible you are Warner Bros, I almost forgot today 🥲
— Chatsunami 🏴 (@ChatsunamiPod)Jun 10, 2025
Several came forward to showcase their frustration towards the studio, which filed a copyright strike, leading the video to be hauled offline.
Literally Warner Bros right nowpic.twitter.com/14EjFmAFvE
— 🦖 The Governor 🦖 (@Gov_Megatron)June 26, 2025
Couldn’t even come up with their own title smh
— OneMadNugget | Video Editor (@OneMadNugget)June 18, 2025
Power move 🥲
— imole (@gidi_b0y)June 07, 2025
“He was like seven foot and we’d be on our knees”: Lord of the Rings Has an Ian McKellen Secret – There Were 2 Actors Playing Gandalf
Last year,it was announcedthat the studio is revamping the universewiththe 2026 project being the first of two new live-action franchise films. As the studio bosses broke multiple film deals based on the belovedJ.R.R. Tolkien books, it is yet to see how they go with the epic fantasy-adventure cinematic franchise.
Although it is yet tobe revealedhow the studio ended up with Gollum’s arc, it might have something to do with theGollumvideo game, which rose to prominence last year.
Warner Bros. lift copyright strike fromHunt for GollumFan-Made Film
It seems as though the studio was quick to recognize its mistake, and has speedily responded to the hue and cry revolving around the copyright strike. According to an update from the fan himself, the copyright strikes against the movie have been lifted, meaning that it is now available to be watched on YouTube once again.
Warner Bros has lifted the copyright strike from ‘THE HUNT FOR GOLLUM’ fan film, which they claim was done in error.pic.twitter.com/22ZJQ70f77
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm)July 22, 2025
In a statement released by Warner Bros., the company claimed that the copyright strike was actually sent due to an ‘error,’ which suggests there were no actual plans to protect the title.
The Hunt for Gollumis currently scheduled to be released in 2026.
Priya Sharma
Articles Published :1321
Priya Sharma, Senior Content Writer and Social Media Manager at FandomWire and Animated Times. Having graduated in Journalism and Mass Communication, she possesses extensive expertise in crafting engaging and informative content. She has written over 2000 articles across Animated Times and FandomWire on pop culture, showing her dedication to delivering diverse and trending content to readers across the world. Apart from pop culture, she is quite enthusiastic about the Hallyu culture and is exploring the world of anime, expanding the horizons of her knowledge.
