Time to go back to Middle-earth! New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures have forged a multi-year agreement with The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film rights holders Embracer Group AB that will allow them to make multiple feature films based on author J. R. R. Tolkien’s works.
The pact comes 20 years after New Line Cinema released The Lord of the Rings trilogy directed by Peter Jackson. The LOTR and The Hobbit trilogy both have been praised for its spectacular VFX which has been delivered by VFX studio Weta FX. The studio is praised for its work on the character Gollum played by Andy Serkis.
New Line and Warner Bros. Animation are currently in production on The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, an original anime set 183 years before the events in The Lord of the Rings. The film tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan.
“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,” said Warner Bros. Pictures Group co-chairs and CEOs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy. “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 honour…”
The Lord of the Rings films are among the most successful and acclaimed of all time, winning 17 Oscars. Of these, 11 were taken by the third part The Return of the King, one being for best visual effects. New Line re-teamed with director Peter Jackson for a trilogy of films based on The Hobbit, which was a co-production with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures. Combined, the six films earned nearly $6 billion in box office worldwide.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series which released in 2022 on Amazon Prime Video, was well received by fans. While the new features by Warner and New Line on the franchise will expand the film universe, they will come under fan scrutiny. And those working on the movies acknowledge the task ahead. “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,” said Freemode CEO Lee Guinchard. Freemode is part of Embracer Group.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim marches into cinemas on 12 April 2024.