Warner Bros. has signed a new, multi-year, deal to develop all new films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
Middle-earth fans have more to rejoice as new Lord of the Rings films are on the way. During their earnings call this afternoon, Warner Bros. announced they (along with New Line Cinema) have inked a deal with the Embracer Group, who recently took over the film rights for The Lord of the Rings. As part of the deal, they’ll be developing all new films based on the iconic trilogy and The Hobbit. This is ON TOP of The War of the Rohirrim animated film set to arrive in 2024.
This is pretty damn big. When the Embracer deal for the LOTR rights went through, many were worried about what it would mean not only for War of the Rohirrim, but any potential new films. Having the films back at WB is nice in that we’ll at least be able to see some continuity within the world, even as they assured fans they won’t simply re-do what’s already been done.
Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy made a statement saying: “Twenty years ago, 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. 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 J.R.R. Tolkien remains largely unexplored on film. The opportunity to invite fans deeper into the cinematic world of Middle-earth is an honor, and we are excited to partner with Middle-earth Enterprises and Embracer on this adventure.”
So this likely means we’re in for some serious spin-offs that can make use of the big characters (which Amazon’s Rings of Power can only use certain ones). Either way, it’s an exciting prospect and between new movies, the incredible live-action series, and a host of new games on the horizon…it’s a great time to be a Lord of the Rings nerd.
