'Lord of the Rings' team back together for 'The Hunt for Gollum'

Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema announced Thursday that Oscar winner Peter Jackson and his "Lord of the Rings" collaborators Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and actor-director Andy Serkis are headed back to Middle-earth with two new films.

The tentatively titled "Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum" will be the first of two new movies based off of J.R.R. Tolkien's classic characters, with Serkis not only reprising as the One Ring-obsessed title character, but also directing the film.

Walsh and Boyens, who co-wrote and produced the original films in the nearly $6 billion franchise, are writing the new installment, along with Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou, who penned the upcoming anime prequel epic "Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim."

Jackson, Walsh and Boyens said in a statement, "It is an honour and a privilege to travel back to Middle-earth with our good friend and collaborator, Andy Serkis, who has unfinished business with that Stinker - Gollum!"

The trio added, "As life long fans of Professor Tolkien's vast mythology, we are proud to be working with Mike De Luca, Pam Abdy and the entire team at Warner Bros. on another epic adventure!"

For his part, Serkis added -- in character, no less -- "Yesssss, Precious. The time has come once more to venture into the unknown with my dear friends, the extraordinary and incomparable guardians of Middle-Earth Peter, Fran and Philippa," calling the new collaboration "just all too delicious."