Director Peter Jackson’s ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy.
Given how well Peter Jackson’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy –– the Hobbit-based original ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’, ‘The Two Towers’ and ‘The Return of the King’ and ‘An Unexpected Journey’, ‘The Desolation of Smaug’ and ‘The Battle of the Five Armies’ –– performing at box office and award ceremonies for New Line Cinema and Warner Bros., it’s perhaps no surprise that parent company Warner Bros. Discovery will return to Middle-earth.
CEO David Zaslav made the announcement during an investor call on Thursday, saying the company had struck a new, multi-year deal with the film rights holders for JRR Tolkien’s stories.
What will the new ‘Lord of the Rings’ film be about?
It’s still very early days for this new development, so there are no details on what the film might cover.
Warner Bros. already has one ‘Rings’ film in production –– ‘The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’, is set 183 years before the events depicted in ‘Fellowship’ and follows the fate of House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan.
The film, which features the voices of Brian Cox, Miranda Otto and Shaun Dooley, will hit theaters on April 12, 2024.
Boss of Warner Bros. Pictures Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy said,
“Twenty years ago, New Line took an unprecedented leap of faith to bring the incredible story, characters and world of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ to life on the big screen. The result is a landmark film series that has been embraced by generations of fans. But for all the scope and detail lovingly packed into the two trilogies, the vast, complex, and enchanting universe that JRR Tolkien dreamed up remains largely unexplored on film. The opportunity to invite fans deeper into the cinematic world of Middle-earth is an honor, and we are thrilled to be partnering with Middle-earth Enterprises and Embracer on this adventure.”
Lee Guinchard, CEO of Freemode’s Embracer Group operations group commented,
“Following the recent acquisition of Middle-earth Enterprises, we are excited to embark on this new collaborative journey with New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures, bringing JRR Tolkien’s unparalleled world back to the big screen in a new and exciting way. We understand just how much the value of these works and working closely with our partners at New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures, we plan to honor the past, look to the future, and adhere to the strongest levels of quality and production value.”
Peter Jackson, until now, was not involved. He may have felt he had done his part in connection with Tolkien’s work.
Morfydd Clark as “Galadriel” in Prime Video ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.’ Credit: Ben Rothstein/Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.
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What about the TV series ‘Rings’?
This is, of course, completely separate from Amazon’s big budget series ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’, which was set years before the ‘Rings’ movies (even ‘Rohirrim’).
It was produced for Prime Video and as such, will not intersect with the film.
There are no details yet on when the new film will hit theaters, but we’d be surprised if one is ready before 2025 at the earliest.
Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn Elessar in Peter Jackson’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.’