Peter Jackson is returning to The Lord of the Rings with the upcoming movie, The Hunt for Gollum, and his comeback is a killer blow for Amazon’s Rings of Power. The Rings of Power was the first project to return viewers to Middle-earth since Jackson’s LOTR and Hobbit movies. The Prime Video series has gotten mixed reactions, and Warner Bros.’ commitment to producing new Lord of the Rings projects likely won’t help its chances of winning fans over. The studio is already releasing The War of Rohirrim later this year, and its newly announced film is even more exciting.

Warner Bros. is producing a film with the working title The Hunt for Gollum, which the studio plans to release in 2026 (via Variety). It will see Andy Serkis reprising the role of Gollum, and it will mark Jackson’s return to the franchise — this time as a producer rather than a director. Jackson’s hands-on role is huge news, and the upcoming project’s connection to the previous Lord of the Rings movies will likely prove a selling point. With that in mind, Jackson’s upcoming LOTR film could be the final nail in The Rings of Power‘s coffin.

Peter Jackson’s Involvement In Lord Of The Rings: The Hunt For Gollum Is Huge

He’s Credited For The Success Of The Initial Trilogy & Hobbit Films

Warner Bros.’ intention to produce more Lord of the Rings projects was worrying at first, but Jackson’s involvement in The Hunt for Gollum is a step in the right direction. Jackson is credited for the success of the initial Lord of the Rings trilogy. And while The Hobbit films received valid criticism, they all saw success at the box office. Jackson made it clear that he understood J.R.R. Tolkien’s source material, and he did an impressive job of bringing it to the screen. Even The War of Rohirrim faces the challenge of living up to Jackson’s LOTR box office streak.

Given that Jackson isn’t directly involved in 2024’s animated Lord of the Rings movie, fans might have assumed his time with the franchise was over. The filmmaker’s involvement in The Hunt for Gollum is a huge deal, even if it’s in a different capacity. It might bring viewers back to the franchise after time away, as not every LOTR fan is on board with The Rings of Power. Jackson’s reputation from The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit offers hope of recapturing the magic of those movies. This benefits The Hunt for Gollum, but it could hurt the Amazon show.

Jackson’s LOTR Movie Return Sets An Impossible Challenge For Amazon’s The Rings Of Power

The Prime Video Series Will Struggle To Compete

Although The Rings of Power got off to a rocky start, there was hope that season 2 could turn things around for the Prime Video series. Warner Bros.’ new movies offer competition that could hurt The Rings of Power‘s chances of a comeback. And the Amazon show will struggle to compete with anything associated with Jackson or The Lord of the Rings movies, as they’re considered the gold standard for the franchise. The War of Rohirrim was different enough from the Amazon show that they could have succeeded simultaneously.

Anything more closely connected to the prior films will remind viewers of what they loved about Jackson’s projects — and what’s missing from the Lord of the Rings series. And it isn’t just Jackson that connects The Hunt for Gollum to the earlier movies. Serkis’ return will appeal to longtime fans of the franchise. So will the fact that The Hunt for Gollum takes place close to The Fellowship of the Ring, which sets up two more cast returns from the LOTR trilogy. Of course, Jackson producing means the upcoming film will fit his vision, which proved more popular than Amazon’s.

Peter Jackson’s Involvement In The Rings Of Power Explained

Amazon Reportedly Didn’t Consult The Filmmaker

It was initially unclear if Jackson was involved in The Rings of Power, but the filmmaker revealed he was never consulted about the Amazon series. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Jackson told the outlet that the studio initially asked if he would be involved in The Lord of the Rings series. He asked for scripts, but according to Jackson, he never received any — and thus, he was never able to consult on the show. To Jackson’s credit, he didn’t seem offended by this. “No complaints at all,” he told THR.

While Jackson’s lack of involvement in The Rings of Power isn’t inherently a bad thing, his work on the new Lord of the Rings movie will present a challenge for the TV show. Tolkien’s fans have critiqued The Rings of Power‘s handling of the author’s world, timeline, and characters. Jackson didn’t face nearly as much back when creating The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies, suggesting viewers had a greater appreciation for his approach to the fantasy franchise.

Jackson might have been missed when The Rings of Power started streaming, but a new film will make this even worse. It will show viewers precisely what they’re missing out on. It’s one thing to compare the Prime Video series to past films that are dubbed modern classics. It’s another to hold up two current Lord of the Rings projects and push comparisons. That may not work in The Rings of Power‘s favor, especially since it already has problems to solve heading into season 2.

The Rings Of Power Already Had Problems Heading Into Season 2 – And Now It’s Worse

It Will Need To Work Hard To Succeed Alongside The LOTR Movies

tThe Rings of Power season 2 had problems to overcome before the announcement of The Hunt for Gollum, as the second outing needs to fix major complaints from the first. The changes to Tolkien’s canon are chief among these, though it could be difficult to turn those around after season 1. Other problems The Rings of Power must address include the portrayal of certain characters and the show’s heavy reliance on predictable mysteries, both of which bring season 1 down in terms of quality.

This will all require effort and careful consideration to fix, and Warner Bros.’ new Lord of the Rings movies are making it feel like an uphill battle. After all, there are likely LOTR fans who won’t give The Rings of Power another chance, even if it does reverse course on season 1’s mistakes. These viewers may be more inclined to check out Jackson’s new movie instead, especially if the filmmaker hasn’t disappointed them before. It’d be great if both projects could coexist and succeed together, but the Amazon series will have to work to make that happen.

Source: Variety, The Hollywood Reporter