Peter Jackson, the visionary behind some of the most iconic films of our time, has announced that he does not believe he is the right fit to helm the next Middle-earth adventure. Instead, he's entrusting the reins to Andy Serkis, the man who brought Gollum to life in the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival, where he was awarded an honorary Palme d'Or, Jackson revealed his reasoning for the decision. "I thought, this story would be even more intriguing if Gollum himself were directing it—and Andy is as close as you can get," he said.
The upcoming film, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, explores the inner psyche of Gollum and his obsession—a deeply personal story for the character. Jackson believed that Serkis, who has a deep understanding of Gollum, would be the perfect choice to bring this tale to life.
The film will reunite some familiar faces from previous Middle-earth adventures, including Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Elijah Wood as Frodo, and Lee Pace as Thranduil. Jamie Dornan takes over from Viggo Mortensen to play Aragorn (credited as "Strider"), while Kate Winslet and Leo Woodall portray new characters Marigol and Halvard, respectively.
Jackson emphasized that he never even considered directing the project himself. "I didn't really think much about me doing it," he said. "I thought the most exciting version of this movie would be if Andy Serkis made it, because he's going to put a Gollum psychology on screen that you cannot imagine."
Despite stepping back from directing, Jackson is happy to offer his assistance to Serkis, who has previously directed movies like Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Animal Farm. "I mean, I'm there to help when I can help," he said. "If I can be of assistance at certain times and answer questions, I'm there. But I don't interfere."
Since completing the Hobbit trilogy in 2014, Jackson has focused on documentary projects like The Beatles: Get Back and They Shall Not Grow Old. However, at Cannes, he revealed plans to return to narrative filmmaking with a sequel to a prior project.
"We're actually writing the next Tintin film now," he said. "The deal was that Steven [Spielberg] directs one and I direct another. So Steven did his film, and then for 15 years I haven't made mine."
Jackson produced 2011's The Adventures of Tintin, in which Serkis portrayed Captain Haddock via performance capture. The filmmaker expressed his regret at taking so long to fulfill his promise to make a sequel to the animated film based on the Belgian comic series by Hergé. "I feel very awkward about that," he said. "Steven's gracious enough not to push me, but I know that I want to make it right. So I've been working with Fran [Walsh] on another Tintin script. I was writing it in the hotel room here just a couple of days ago."
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is scheduled for release on December 17, 2027.
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