New The Lord Of The Rings Movies Confirmed By Warner Bros
Middle-earth is calling, and after confirmation that a multitude of The Lord of the Rings games are on the way, the IP is once again branching out into live-action movies.
While J.R.R. Tolkien's book sequel to The Hobbit has been around since 1954 and has been adapted several times, it was Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy that brought "my precious" into the mainstream with an all-star cast of Ian McKellen, Elijah Wood, Cate Blanchett, and more.
The Lord of the Rings was followed by further success with The Hobbit trilogy, but nine years after the credits rolled on The Battle of the Five Armies, the franchise is set to come back in a big way.
New The Lord Of The Rings Movies Are Coming
Click to enlargeAs reported by The Hollywood Reporter, New Line Cinema has signed a multiyear deal with Embracer Group - the gaming giant that owns the rights to the movies. This comes after Embracer paid a jaw-dropping $770 million to acquire the rights from Middle-earth Enterprises in 2022.
A Warner Bros. Discovery investor call saw CEO David Zaslav try to assure Wall Street that the media giant will make the most of its franchise capabilities. These include Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and The Lord of the Rings.
Zaslav wants to return to the glory days of the noughties when all of the above and Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight movies were raking it in at the box office. Zaslav said he wanted more Lord of the Rings movies last November, and now, the ink is dry.
As for what to expect from the deal, Warner Bros. film bosses Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy suggested that these new movies won't be remakes or retread familiar ground. Jackson's work was set in the beloved Third Age, and while we'll likely stay there, that doesn't necessarily mean more from Bilbo.
"For all the scope and detail lovingly packed into the two trilogies, the vast, complex and dazzling universe dreamed up by J.R.R. Tolkien remains largely unexplored on film," says the statement.
"The opportunity to invite fans deeper into the cinematic world of Middle-earth is an honor, and we are excited to partner with Middle-earth Enterprises and Embracer on this adventure."
What's Next For The Lord Of The Rings?
Before we get to the live-action cinematic return for Middle-earth, there's the animated The War of Rohirrim coming in 2024. There's also the second season of Amazon's live-action The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
The big question is, will Peter Jackson be involved? The movie auteur was famously frozen out of being involved with The Rings of Power series that served as a prequel to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
In a statement, Jackson released a statement alongside Lord of the Rings partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, saying: "Warner Bros. and Embracer have kept us in the loop every step of the way. We look forward to speaking with them further to hear their vision for the franchise moving forward."
Even if we don't retread with these new outings, let's remember Embracer originally floated the idea of origin movies for Gandalf, Aragorn, Galadriel, and Eowyn when it first bagged the rights. Some might say McKellen is too old to get back in his robes, but you never know.
