Warner Bros is bringing Tolkien’s world back to the big screen.
Director Peter Jackson has offered his reaction to news that Warner Bros is developing more films in the Lord of the Rings franchise.
News broke yesterday of a new deal between the Hollywood studio and Embracer Group, holders of the film rights to JRR Tolkien’s wildly popular fantasy world, which is expected to bring about brand new entries in the epic saga.
These are currently in the very earliest stages of development, meaning there is no indication of when they will be set on the millennia-spanning Middle-earth timeline, nor which creative team will be bringing them to life.
Both fans and the wider film industry immediately thought of Jackson, who directed The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies in his home country of New Zealand, but his involvement is unconfirmed as of yet.
In a joint statement (via Deadline), the director and his writing partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, said: “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 new Lord of the Rings feature films are expected to be entirely separate to Prime Video’s current fantasy drama The Rings of Power, which is the product of a separate agreement for the television and streaming rights to the story.
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Warner Bros Pictures co-chairs and CEOs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy said: “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. 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.”
They added: “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.”
Prior to this deal, Warner Bros and its subsidiary New Line already had an animated Lord of the Rings film in the works, titled The War of the Rohirrim, which features Succession star Brian Cox as the voice of Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan.
The film is scheduled for release in April 2024 and will be presented in the style of anime, with Japanese production company Sola Entertainment (Blade Runner: Black Lotus) handling the production.
Check out more of our Fantasy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.
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