Avengers: Endgame directors the Russo Brothers pitched Amazon Studios a Lord of the Rings series headlined by Aragorn, a new report claims.
The Hollywood Reporter cites an unnamed insider who alleges that the Russos were among the filmmakers invited to propose their vision for what would eventually become the Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. This source describes the Russos' suggested take on J.R.R. Tolkien's source material as "an Aragorn story" which (unlike The Rings of Power) would've unfolded during the same Third Age setting as The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies. Amazon Studios executives were evidently unmoved by the pitch, as they ultimately went with the concept put forward by decidedly less established creative duo J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay.
Reports of an Aragorn-centric Lord of the Rings series have surfaced before, however, this is the first time that the Russo Brothers' names have been attached to the proposed project. Payne and McKay previously confirmed that this idea was one of several thrown into the mix after Amazon Studios bought the rights to produce a streaming series set in Middle-earth in November 2017. "[Y]ou had people pitching the young Aragorn show, or the Gimli spinoff, or other kinds of things," Payne said.
What does The Lord of the Rings' Future Look Like?
Fans eager for a Middle-earth outing focused on the exploits of their favorite ranger-turned-king shouldn't give up hope, though. New Lord of the Rings rightsholder Embracer Group recently hinted that a solo Aragorn movie is among several projects it is currently considering. "[O]pportunities include exploring additional movies based on iconic characters such as Gandalf, Aragorn, Gollum, Galadriel, Eowyn and other characters from the literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien, and continue to provide new opportunities for fans to explore this fictive world through merchandising and other experiences," an Embracer Group press statement read, in part.
Embracer Group entered into an agreement with the Saul Zaentz Company to acquire Middle-earth Enterprises in August 2022. The deal will reportedly grant the Swedish video game and media holding company the rights to produce creative works based on both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. This includes movies, TV shows, video games, merchandise, board games, theme parks and stage productions. Embracer Group also stated that its acquisition of Middle-earth Enterprises grants it similar rights to other Lord of the Rings-related titles managed by the Tolkien Estate but not yet adapted in other media.
Source: THR