Warner Bros and New Line Cinema are currently in the process of “revamping” the Lord of the Rings franchise to reap the extremely expensive benefits recently experienced by Amazon.
According to Variety, during an earnings call earlier this week, Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav announced that newly-hired studio heads and MGM transplants, Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, had brokered a deal to produce “multiple” films based on the lore conceived by J.R.R. Tolkien.
“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,” said De Luca and Abdy in a joint statement.
“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.”
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“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 [adaptive rights holder] Embracer on this adventure.”
At this stage, while no filmmakers nor creative talent have been attached to the projects, original trilogy director Peter Jackson and his key Lord of the Rings collaborators, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, have noted both Warner Bros and the aforementioned Embracer Group AB “have kept us in the loop every step of the way.” Which is certainly a good sign.
“We look forward to speaking with them further to hear their vision for the franchise moving forward,” said Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens.
“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 J.R.R. Tolkien back to the big screen in new and exciting ways,” said Lee Guinchard, CEO of Freemode (a division of Embracer Group AB).
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“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.”
Peter Jackson’s original The Lords of the Rings film trilogy starring an all-star cast of Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Bean, Cate Blanchett, and more generated $2.99 billion against a $281 million production budget. Additionally, it was nominated for a total of 30 Academy Awards, taking home 17 golden statuettes, including Best Picture for 2003’s The Return of the King.
The Fellowship of the Ring was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
