It’s been just over eight years since New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures released The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, ending Peter Jackson’s second Middle-earth movie trilogy. J.R.R. Tolkien’s books have already been exhaustively adapted to the silver screen, but much like Gollum and the One Ring, movie studios can’t stay away. On Thursday, massive holding company Embracer Group announced that it was partnering with Warner Bros. and New Line to make new feature films based The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
Lee Guinchard, CEO of Embracer subsidiary Freemode, shared the following statement:
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. We understand how cherished these works are and working together with our partners at New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures, we plan to honor the past, look to the future, and adhere to the strongest level of quality and production values.
Prepare for new Lord of the Rings movies
Embracer did not share any specifics regarding the upcoming feature-length films based on The Lord of the Rings. That said, the company did admit that the partnership will have “limited effects in the short term,” so don’t expect a new live-action Middle-earth movie any time soon.
”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,” Warner Bros. Pictures Group Co-Chairs and CEOs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy added.
“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.”
We don’t know what these movies will be, but it’s clear that they won’t simply be retelling of the books. Presumably, Warner Bros. and New Line plan to take a page out of Amazon’s book and craft their own stories with new characters in the same universe.
In the meantime, New Line and Warner Bros. Animation are already deep in production on the animated movie The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. It’s set 183 years before the events in The Lord of the Rings and tells the story of Helm Hammerhand.
