David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, has revealed "multiple" new Lord of the Rings films have been negotiated.
The projects will be created by New Line Cinema, a division of Warner Bros. that produced the early 2000s $3 billion-grossing trilogy directed by Peter Jackson.
The rights to Tolkien's works for television are owned by Amazon, but in 2022, the Swedish business Embracer Group acquired the rights for Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies, games, merchandise, theme parks, and live productions.
Embracer Group’s CEO Lee Guinchard said: “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 JRR Tolkien back to the big screen in new and exciting ways.
“We understand how cherished these works are and, working together with our partners at New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures, we plan to honour the past, look to the future, and adhere to the strongest level of quality and production values.”
What we know about the new LOTR movies
It’s not clear when fans can expect anything to materialise on screen at this time but Warner Bros. Discovery’s executive team of Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy De Luca have teased a breakaway from the stories told by Jackson in the first trilogy.
“Twenty years ago, New Line took an unprecedented leap of faith to realise 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,” they said in a joint statement.
“But for all the scope and detail lovingly packed into the two trilogies, the vast, complex, and dazzling universe dreamed up by JRR Tolkien remains largely unexplored on film. The opportunity to invite fans deeper into the cinematic world of Middle-earth is an honour, and we are excited to partner with Middle-earth Enterprises and Embracer on this adventure.”
The animated movie The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, which takes place 183 years before the events in The Lord of the Rings, is being produced by New Line and Warner Bros. Animation. In April 2024, the film, which elaborates on the life of Helm Hammerhand, a famous monarch of Rohan, will be shown in cinemas.
