Lord of the Rings
- Created By: JRR Tolkien
- Movies Launched: December 19, 2001
- Series Rights Owner: Amazon
Lord Of The Rings Original Cast News
Fans of Middle-Earth rejoice, we have fresh Lord of the Rings news. A new slate of Lord of the Rings movies is also on their way.
Announced back in February of 2023, it appears there is more to say when it comes to the J.R.R. Tolkien comprehensive novels.
The Lord of the Rings New Movies Announcement
It came in February of 2023 when Warner Bros. Discovery said there would be more Lord of the Rings. David Zaslav, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO, took to an earnings call to make the announcement that his new studio leaders, Mike De Luca, and Pam Abdy, just worked out a deal to make not one, but “multiple” movies based on those dense J.R.R Tolkien stories of Middle-earth.
The brokered deal is going to be developed through the Warner Bros. label New Line Cinema.
“Lord of the Rings is one of the most iconic storytelling franchises of all time, and we’re so excited,” Zaslav said during his announcement. “Stay tuned for more to come on this front.” To this point, Zaslav has not given out any more information, though we do have some good information to pass along.
Peter Jackson Involvement
After Zaslav’s announcement, thought immediately turned to Peter Jackson, who helmed the Lord of the Rings trilogy, as well as The Hobbit trilogy, to great success. Would he be involved? Could he be involved?
In a statement to Variety, Peter Jackson spoke briefly about where he and his team, which includes Fran Walsh and Phillipa Boyens, were at with this news.
According to Jackson, both 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.”
The simple fact that Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens are in the conversations is fantastic news.
Embracer Controls The Rights
Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy were part of the MGM family prior to last year when Amazon acquired MGM. After that purchase, De Luca and Abdy took their talents to Warner Bros. where Zaslav put them in charge.
Since then, they have been working feverishly to bring more of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth to the big screen, and to do so, they’ve had to negotiate with Embracer. More to the point, De Luca and Abdy have been working out details with Freemode, a division of Embracer.
Speaking of acquisitions, Embracer’s most recent was the purchase of 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,” said Lee Guinchard, CEO of Freemode. “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.”
This Is Described As A Leap Of Faith
De Luca and Abdy have nothing but praise for New Line Cinema and the work they did putting together two of the most financially successful and popular trilogies with The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, but they also know there was so much more to Middle-earth that was not touched.
Per De Luca and Abdy, they knew that 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 … 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.”
There is only one remaining J. R. R. Tolkien piece of work that has yet to be adapted for the big screen and that is The Silmarillion. The book comes in five parts – Ainulindalë, Valaquenta, Quenta Silmarillion, Akallabêth, and Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age. This collection of myths was put together posthumously by Tolkien’s son Christopher and Gavriel Kay.
The Silmarillion is a dense piece of work by J. R. R. Tolkien that may not be easily translated into film. While it touches on everything Middle-earth, its construction could be problematic. Tolkien had not completed his work before his passing at age 81.
The first Lord of the Rings trilogy brought to life the story of hobbit Frodo Baggins and his Fellowship as they embarked on a dangerous journey to destroy the One Ring, which would also ensure the destruction of the ring’s maker, the Dark Lord Sauron.
The original trilogy boasts an amazing ensemble cast that includes Elijah Wood (who doesn’t seem pleased with a LotR reboot), Sean Astin, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Cate Blanchett, John Rhys-Davies, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Andy Serkis, and Sean Bean.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2
Of course, that isn’t the only good news surrounding the Lord of the Rings franchise. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, an Amazon Prime original series, has been confirmed to have a second season on the way. Season 1 was an 8-episode season running from September 1, 2022, through October 14, 2022, with a production cost of over $450 million.
According to Amazon Studios’ head of global television, Vernon Sanders, production on the second season has already begun, but they don’t expect it to be complete and ready to show any time in 2023. “It would be amazing if we could get Season 2 out within a year of Season 1’s release,” Sanders explained to Collider. “It may take a smidge longer than that, but we’re doing everything we can, and we’re going to get better and faster as we go.”
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
If you can’t wait that long for more Lord of the Rings, you might be able to get your fix with the animated film, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. The film is said to be set 183 years before the second film in the franchise, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and will tell the story of the legendary King of Rohan, Helm Hammerhand (great name), as he battles against the army of Dunlendings.
Unfortunately, the film has a release date of April 12, 2024, so we are still almost a year out before any new Lord of the Rings material will be seen.
The Six Billion Dollar Franchise
When you combine both trilogies (Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit), they brought in over $6 billion at the box office worldwide. That is a staggering number but what is even more staggering is that it has taken this long to greenlight more stories of Middle-earth.
Finally, though, and with what looks to be Peter Jackson’s involvement in some capacity, Warner Bros. is ready to push forward.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is an Amazon Prime original series. Season 1 was an 8-episode season running from September 1, 2022, through October 14, 2022, with a production cost of over $450 million.
Learn more about The Lord of the Rings universe and all of the lore behind Middle Earth. Dive into the news with our The Lord of the Rings terms and background.
