# Lord of the Rings’ Most Divisive Movie Officially Takes Over Netflix

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/lord-of-the-rings-most-divisive-movie-officially-takes-over-netflix/
- Published: 2026-11-05T00:15:12+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-05T01:51:10+00:00
- Original publisher: Collider
- Original article: https://collider.com/the-hobbit-an-unexpected-journey-streaming-success-netflix-november-2026/
- Topics: Entertainment, Film, TV

## Key points

- *An Unexpected Journey* is among Netflix’s ten most-watched films worldwide.
- The 2012 film is finding a new audience.
- *The Hunt for Gollum* is due in cinemas in 2027.

## Summary

*The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey* has become a surprise global streaming hit, ranking among Netflix’s ten most-watched films worldwide at the time of publication. Its renewed popularity comes as the *Lord of the Rings* franchise prepares to return to cinemas with *The Hunt for Gollum*, drawing fresh attention to Middle-earth films.

Released in 2012 and starring Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, *An Unexpected Journey* followed years of development delays and a change in director: Guillermo del Toro was initially attached, before Peter Jackson took over. The upcoming film is scheduled for 17 December 2027, with Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood and Andy Serkis returning, alongside new cast members including Jamie Dornan, Kate Winslet and Anya Taylor-Joy; Lee Pace is also set to reprise his role as Thranduil.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.