Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema are returning to Middle-earth, with the studio sealing a deal that will allow for the development of more films in the franchise. Lord of the Rings.
- Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema have reached a new deal for the rights to Lord of the Rings
- The agreement will be for multiple years, and will allow the creation of new films in the franchise.
- David Zaslav, CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, had already mentioned a possible return of Tolkien’s stories
- Warner Film Heads Talked About It Being an Honor to Delve “Into the Cinematic World of Middle-earth”
- It was not revealed what the potential new films will be, nor when they will arrive.
Multi-year agreement with rights holders Embracer Group AB allows Warner to develop features based on JRR Tolkien’s books, Lord of the Rings e O Hobbit. Embracer Group, a Swedish gaming company, has acquired the rights to films, games, merchandise, theme parks and live productions from Lord of the Rings when it bought rights holder Middle-earth Enterprises last year from The Saul Zaentz Company.
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The deal, announced during the Warner Bros. Discovery on Thursday comes as CEO David Zaslav seeks to reassure Wall Street that Warner is heavily involved in the franchise, as he looks back to the glory days of the 2000s when the studio was generating big bucks from The Lord of the Rings franchises. , Harry Potter and The Dark Knight. In November, Zaslav said he would like to make a deal with author JK Rowling for more Harry Potterand initially presented the idea of a return of Lord of the Rings.
Peter Jackson directed the trilogy Lord of the Ringsreleased between 2001 and 2003. The series grossed a combined $2.9 billion at the box office, with The return of the king winning Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Jackson returned to direct the trilogy. O Hobbit (2012-14). New Line already had the animated feature The War of the Rohirrim on the 2024 calendar.
The rights to Tolkien’s works have always been a bit complicated, and a long-standing legal dispute between Warner and the Tolkien estate lasted for years before being resolved in 2017. A tricky new issue from a consumer perspective: Does Amazon own the TV rights of Lord of the Ringswith its gigantic budget series, The Rings of Powerreleased last year.
As much as the new films present opportunities for major franchises, they will be under the scrutiny of fans just as much as current Warner franchises like DC and Fantastic Beasts.
We understand how much these works are appreciated and, working closely 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 highest level of quality and production values.
Lee Guinchard, CEO of Freemode, part of Embracer
Meanwhile, Warner Bros. film heads Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy have signaled that they are not interested in a revamp of what Peter Jackson has already done, saying in their own statement:
Twenty years ago, New Line took an unprecedented leap of faith to realize the incredible stories, characters and world of Lord of the Rings on the big screen. The result was a historic series of films that have been embraced by generations of fans. But for all the scope and detail carefully packed into both trilogies, the vast, complex, and dazzling universe dreamed up by JRR 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.
Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, heads of film at Warner Bros.
Themes and dates for potential new films from Lord of the Rings They haven’t been revealed yet, but the rights deal – which certainly involved millions of dollars – makes it very likely they’ll get off the ground.
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