We may soon be returning to Middle-earth as New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures have signed a multi-year agreement with Embracer Group AB’s Middle-earth Enterprises with the intention of making new Lord of the Rings movies.
“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 Embracer Group’s operative group Freemode, said. “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.“
Warner Bros. Pictures Group co-chairs and CEOs Michael De Luca and pam Abdy added, “Twenty years ago, New Line took an unprecedented leap of faith to realize the incredible stories, characters and world of The Lord of the Rings on the big screen. The result was a landmark series of films that have been embraced by generations of fans. But 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. 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.“
Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy was hugely successful at the box office and was a hit with critics and fans alike. Nearly a decade later, Jackson returned with The Hobbit trilogy, and the combined six movies have grossed nearly $6 billion worldwide, so it’s no surprise that New Line and Warner Bros. want to develop some new Lord of the Rings movies.
Of course, the TV rights for the franchise are owned by Amazon Studios, who premiered The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power last year. The series is expected to last for five seasons. However, Middle-earth Enterprises owns the exclusive worldwide motion-picture, games, merchandising, stage, and other rights to much of J.R.R. Tolkien’s works, including The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. It doesn’t sound like these new Lord of the Rings movies will simply be a retread of what Peter Jackson did, but they certainly have plenty of Middle-earth history to draw upon.
Notably, Peter Jackson himself and partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens issued a statement to Deadline that didn’t rule out them being involved with the new films. “Warner Brothers 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.”
New Line and Warner Bros. Animation are currently in production of The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, an animated movie set hundreds of years before the events of The Lord of the Rings, which follows Helm Hammerhand, a legendary King of Rohan. The film is set to hit theaters on April 12, 2024.
What would you like to see in these new Lord of the Rings movies?