The announcement comes two decades after Peter Jackson’s trilogy was released, and during a rush for franchises at Warner Bros Discovery.
Warner Bros and New Line have signed a deal to produce more adaptations of JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit books, 20 years after Peter Jackson’s trilogy was released. The announcement comes amid a scramble for franchises at Warner Bros Discovery. On an earnings call, David Zaslav, Warner Bros Discovery’s CEO, revealed that a deal had been brokered with Embracer Group, the Swedish gaming company that owns the rights to most of Tolkien’s world, to make “multiple” films, although the cost of the deal has not been disclosed. The films will be developed through New Line Cinema, which produced Jackson’s trilogy that grossed nearly $3bn worldwide and won 11 Oscars, including Best Picture for The Return of the King.
Peter Jackson and his colleagues Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens released a joint statement to Variety, expressing their anticipation for the upcoming Lord of the Rings films being developed by Warner Bros and Embracer. The trio stated that they have been kept informed throughout the process and are looking forward to hearing more about the new films’ vision. Embracer obtained the rights to The Lord of the Rings franchise, including films, games, merchandise, theme parks, and live productions after purchasing Middle-earth Enterprises in 2022. Lee Guinchard, CEO of Embracer Freemode, expressed excitement about the project, stating that the company plans to pay tribute to the past while looking to the future with the highest level of quality and production values. The new film division leaders at Warner Bros, Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, are behind the multi-year deal that will allow the studio to create films based on Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings books and The Hobbit.
