Warner Bros. has confirmed new The Lord of the Rings films are officially in the works, but fans have begged the studio to “leave it alone”. Variety reports that Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav announced the news during an earnings call on Thursday, confirming new studio heads Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy have made a deal to produce “multiple” films based on the J.R.R. Tolkien novels.
Peter Jackon’s original The Lord of the Rings trilogy – released between 2001 and 2003 – grossed nearly $3bn worldwide, with his follow-up The Hobbit trio boasting a similar gross. No filmmakers have been attached to the new project, but Jackson and his Lord of the Rings collaborators Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens said Warner Bros. “have kept us in the loop every step of the way.”
In a statement to Variety, they said: “We look forward to speaking with them further to hear their vision for the franchise moving forward.”
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Jackson was notably absent from the production of Amazon’s 2022 Lord of the Rings prequel series The Rings of Power, which cost more than $450m to produce and failed to have the same impact as its feature-length predecessors. Freemode – a division of Swedish video game and media holding company Embracer Group – has brokered a multi-year agreement to produce “multiple” films based on Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit books, with productions to be billed under its Middle-earth-Enterprises subsidiary.
Freemode CEO Lee Guinchard 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.”
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No further details have been confirmed regarding the new films’ plots, characters, or when in the Lord of the Rings timeline they will take place. The original trilogy – starring Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen and Cate Blanchett – was nominated for 30 Oscars and won 17, including Best Picture for the concluding Return of the King.
But despite being such a popular franchise, fans are fuming at the announcement of more films, with some concerned that any new productions would risk “tarnishing the legacy” of the original trilogy. Voicing their frustrations on Twitter, @MTStarrett said: “There is no reason to do this. There are so many original stories waiting to be put onto the big screen. End the remake madness.”
@juvenewslive echoed: “It’s literally perfect as it is. No reboots, remakes or reimagining needed. Why not create something original instead.”
@TheDocSportello said: “Great idea! Have fun tarnishing the legacy of perhaps the greatest trilogy ever made!”
@KFLETCH___ begged: “Please leave the series ALONE. PLEASE. Just let them rest in paradise.”
@thelifeofnikki added: “I have never NOT wanted something less in my life.”
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