Since the release of director Peter Jackson’s universally acclaimed Lord of the Rings trilogy, the beloved franchise has been a fervent part of the pop culture zeitgeist, raking in a dizzying $2.9 billion. Legend has it, if you listen closely, you can always hear the jingling of Peter’s Jackson’s rightfully earned mountain of gold coins. That mountain is likely to grow even more, now that new Lord of the Rings films are on the way. We just hope they are better than the last trilogy.
During a call discussing Warner Bros. Discovery’s Q2 2022 earnings, CEO David Zaslav dropped the bombshell announcement of a new set of films, as part of a multi-year agreement between New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Embracer Group AB’s Middle Earth Enterprises. The exact number of new films has not been disclosed, but it is worth noting that history shows the series has a penchant for trilogies.
After the initial Lord of the Rings trilogy concluded, winning 17 Academy Awards, including Best Picture for The Return of the King, it was a no-brainer that the series ought to continue to exist in the medium in some form or fashion. Thus, The Hobbit trilogy was born; unfortunately, this prequel trilogy was not nearly as praised, either by critics or fans.
Money talks, though, and the Hobbit trilogy also earned $2.9 billion, despite criticisms that the trilogy felt overlong, tonally uneven, and less emotionally poignant, among other complaints. With some critics and fans feeling that the magic had lost its luster, the Hobbit trilogy was nevertheless a success. Keeping this in mind puts Embracer Freemode’s Lee Guinchard’s thoughts into perspective: “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.”
It would be a pleasure to see another incredible film series, bringing the world and characters of Middle Earth back to the big screen, giving us a whole other round of visually and emotionally impactful cinematic moments in the fantasy genre. We just hope they do well on their endeavor to look to the past as an example of the level of quality the world would be glad to see brought to life.
For more news and updates on the Lord of the Rings series, including The Rings of Power television series, you shall pass and check the links below.