Warner Bros. and New Line will be journeying back to Middle-earth, with the studios jointly announcing that new films in The Lord of the Rings franchise are in the works.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. and New Line have closed a multi-year deal with Embracer Group AB, which holds the film, gaming, merchandise, theme parks and live productions rights to Lord of the Rings. Announced during Warner Bros. Discovery's recent investor call, the deal will allow Warner Bros. and New Line to develop new features based on J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings books and The Hobbit. The upcoming films are not expected to be remakes of the previous two film trilogies, but instead, will show fans of the franchise new corners of Middle-earth. The new deal does not include the TV rights to The Lord of the Rings, which are currently held by Amazon.
"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," said Warner Bros. film bosses Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy in a 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."
Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Set in the fictional world of Middle-earth, Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy -- consisting of the epic fantasy adventure films The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002) and The Return of the King (2003) -- follows the hobbit Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) as he and the Fellowship embark on a quest to destroy the One Ring, to ensure the destruction of its maker, the Dark Lord Sauron. Produced and distributed by New Line Cinema, The Lord of the Rings is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential film series ever made. Jackson also wrote and directed The Hobbit trilogy -- An Unexpected Journey (2012), The Desolation of Smaug (2013) and The Battle of the Five Armies (2014). Both trilogies were massive commercial successes, together grossing over $5.8 billion at the worldwide box office.
In addition to the new Lord of the Rings films, New Line is in production on a standalone animated prequel film -- The War of the Rohirrim -- which was first announced in June 2021. The film will be set 183 years before the events depicted in The Two Towers and follow Helm Hammerhand (Brian Cox), a legendary King of Rohan who must defend against an army of Dunlendings. The War of the Rohirrim's voice cast also includes Gaia Wise, Luke Pasqualino, Laurence Ubong, Shaun Dooley and Miranda Otto, with the latter reprising her role as Éowyn from the live-action film trilogy.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy is currently streaming on HBO Max.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter