Warner Bros. Pictures has recently announced some big news regarding the fan-favorite movie franchise, “The Lord of the Rings”. On a Thursday earnings call, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery David Zaslav revealed they have procured the rights to produce multiple films based on the legendary J.R.R. Tolkien novels. Utilizing the studio’s New Line Cinema branch, they will take strides to bring a new title in the beloved franchise to the big screen.
Peter Jackson, who directed the initial trilogy, and several of his former collaborators have expressed interest. Allowing their input, the upcoming films will strive to keep the same level of quality present in the first trilogy. Jackson, as well as long-term partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, hinted that they’ve been consulted and urged Warner Bros. and Embracer to keep them informed of their vision for the franchise.
The historic rights deal was brokered through a joint effort of Embracer Group and Middle-earth Enterprises. Top executives, who left MGM to take the top job at Warner Bros., Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, expressed their enthusiasm for the ambitious project. The original trilogy, made up of Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), and the Return of the King (2003) grossed close to $3 billion worldwide and earned thirty Academy Award nominations, with seventeen wins.
The deal comes as a first major feat for the newly-installed studio team. Neither project timeline, nor any filmmaker attached to the films have been revealed yet. Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema are also keeping busy with an extensive movie slate for the coming year. A sequel to the Jason Statham film “Meg”, the Timothee Chalamet-starrer Dune, an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic author “Wonka”, and the DC superhero movie “Blue Beetle” are just some of the films the studio will be rolling out in the following months.
It remains to be seen what Warner Bros. will do to bring the beloved franchise back to the big screen. Will they go with a completely new cast and director? What story will they tell? Comment with your thoughts and guesses!
