‘Multiple’ new ‘Lord Of The Rings’ films in the works
Warner Bros has confirmed plans to return to Middle-earth
New Lord Of The Rings films are on the way after Warner Bros and New Line signed a deal to make more adaptions.
The news was confirmed by Warner Bros Discovery’s chief executive, David Zaslav, who made the announcement on an earnings call yesterday (February 23), revealing that a new deal to make “multiple” films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s books had been brokered (via Variety).
The multiyear agreement with Embracer Group AB – the Swedish video game and media holding company which bought most of the rights to Tolkien’s work last year – permits new adaptations of both The Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit.
Under the deal, the new films will be made through the Warner Bros production company New Line Cinema, which produced Peter Jackson’s original trilogy from 2001 to 2003.
No directors or talent have been announced for any upcoming projects, but Jackson and Lord Of The Rings collaborators Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens told Variety in a joint statement that 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,” Jackson, Walsh and Boyens said.
Under the new deal by Freemode – a division of Embracer Group – the pact will be billed as Middle-earth Enterprises.
“Following our recent acquisition of Middle-earth Enterprises, we’re thrilled to embark on this new collaborative journey with New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures, bringing the incomparable world of J.R.R. Tolkien back to the big screen in new and exciting ways,” Lee Guinchard, CEO of Freemode, said in a statement.
“We understand how cherished these works are and working together 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 level of quality and production values.”
Jackson’s trilogy of Lord Of The Rings films – The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return Of The King – grossed nearly $3billion (£2.5billion) worldwide, with The Hobbit trilogy making almost the same.
Return Of The King is tied alongside Ben Hur and Titanic as the films with the most Academy Award wins of all time, totalling 11 each.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Amazon Prime series premiered back in September.
Actor Benjamin Walker spoke to Rolling Stone UK about the responsibility of bringing the billion-dollar series to life.
“The pressure is important,” he said. “Anything worth doing is worth doing well, so I feel like our best is the bare minimum.”