Peter Jackson backs two new ‘Lord of the Rings’ films

Who will make the new ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies?

Peter Jackson accepts the Academy Award for Best Picture for “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” during the 76th Annual Academy Awards from the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 29 2004. Credit/Supplier: HO. Copyright: AMPAS.

The head of the new team is Peter Jackson, you know, the man who brought JRR Tolkien’s stories of Hobbits, Elves and other creatures to pop cultural giant status with his original trilogy of films and then the ‘Hobbit’ adaptations.

While it appears that Jackson does not plan to direct any of the films, he will be deeply involved in their development.

Joining him, as they have from the beginning, are collaborators Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, who will write the films’ scripts.

And another key player in the ‘LOTR’ franchise, Andy Serkis – who regularly donned performance capture suits to play the sneaky, ring-coveting Gollum – is also back, and is on board to direct the first confirmed film, which is perhaps appropriately (working) titled ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’.

Serkis will also return to his performance capture team to play the titular creature.

What is the story of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’?

(From left to right) Sean Austin, Elijah Wood and Andy Serkis in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’. Photo: New Line Cinema.

Warner Bros. wouldn’t give specific details yet, but let’s be honest… It kind of speaks for itself. And there is at least one section of Tolkien’s work that focuses precisely on that quest (Aragorn is the unfortunate person tasked with tracking down the riddle spinner).

Exactly what form the new story will take remains to be seen, but it has already been adapted into a fan film and a card game.

As for the other movie? That’s even more of a mystery for now, but the studio has said it will delve into unexplored stories.

New ‘Lord of the Rings’ films: Creatives speak

(Left to right) Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, winners of the Academy Award for Best Picture for their work on “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” pose in the press room during the 76th Annual Awards of the Academy Awards from the Kodak Theatre. in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 29, 2004. Credit/Vendor: HO. Copyright: AMPAS.

Here is the statement from Jackson, Walsh and Boyes upon their return:

“It is an honor and a privilege to travel back to Middle-earth with our good friend and collaborator, Andy Serkis, who has unfinished business with that stinker: Gollum. “As lifelong fans of Professor Tolkien’s vast mythology, we are proud to work with Mike De Luca, Pam Abdy and the entire team at Warner Bros. on another epic adventure.”

And here is Serkis:

“Yes beautiful. The time has come once again to venture into the unknown with my dear friends, the extraordinary and incomparable guardians of Middle-earth Peter, Fran and Philippa. With Mike and Pam, and the team at Warner Bros on the hunt too, along with WETA and our film family in New Zealand, it’s just delightful…”

Finally, this is the statement from Warner Bros. film bosses Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy:

“For more than two decades, moviegoers have embraced The Lord of the Rings film trilogy because of the undeniable devotion that Peter, Fran and Philippa have shown to protecting the legacy of Tolkien’s works and to ensuring that audiences could experience the incredible world he created in a way that honors his literary vision. We are honored that they have agreed to be our partners on these two new films. With the addition of Andy to direct ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum’ (working title), we continue an important commitment to excellence that is a true hallmark of how we all want to adventure and contribute even more to the Lord of the Rings. It sounds like cinematic history.”

When will the new ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies be in theaters?

The plan for at least one of the new films is for it to be in theaters in 2026.

What does this mean for Amazon’s future plans for ‘The Lord of the Rings’?

Morfydd Clark (Galadriel) in Prime Video’s ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’. Photo: Courtesy of Prime Video. Copyright: Amazon Studios.

At the moment, nothing: the two companies have different agreements with the rights holders, Embracer Group AB. While Warner Bros. focuses on movies (with ‘War of the Rohirrim’ landing on December 13), Amazon’s Prime Video service seems more interested in building its television universe, following the successful launch of ‘The Lord of the Rohirrim’. Rings: The Rings of Power’ in 2022. A second season has been filming and will arrive this year (although an official date has not yet been provided).

But the new announcement is certainly giant news for fans and a fair win for Warner Bros., as Jackson and the team are the people most closely associated with the films’ success and the overall dominance of Middle-earth in the early 2000s. What the Tolkien family really thinks is probably not all that positive, but having sold the rights, these days they have little control over what the giant corporations do with the stories included in the various deals.

Now we just have to wait and see what happens with the new Warner movies. But one thing is clear: unlike the elves, adaptations of Professor Tolkien’s work are not planning to set sail for Valinor anytime soon.

The ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy by director Peter Jackson.

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