Fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings series have a lot to be excited about as Warner Bros. has reportedly signed a multiyear pact with Embracer Group AB to develop new movies based on the books. The move comes as CEO David Zaslav seeks to assure Wall Street that Warner Bros. is still a major player in the franchise game, harking back to the early 2000s when the studio was minting money with the original Lord of the Rings trilogy.
What to expect from the new movies
According to Warner Bros. film bosses Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, the new movies will not be a retread of what Jackson has already done. Instead, they plan to explore the vast, complex, and dazzling universe dreamed up by Tolkien that has largely remained unexplored in film. The movies will reportedly be based on the original books and not on the recent Amazon TV series, which is set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, thousands of years before the events of the films.
It’s unclear what specific stories the new movies will cover or which characters they will focus on, but there is a lot of material to choose from. Fans will be eager to see how the filmmakers tackle some of the most beloved characters in the series, such as Gandalf, Bilbo, and Aragorn.
However, there is some trepidation among fans who worry that any new movies will not live up to the high standards set by director Peter Jackson’s original trilogy. Despite the concerns, there is still a lot of potential for new Lord of the Rings films.
The challenges of living up to fan expectations
One of the biggest challenges facing the new Lord of the Rings movies is the high bar set by the original trilogy. Jackson’s films earned a combined $2.9 billion at the box office and won a total of 17 Academy Awards, including Best Picture for The Return of the King.
Fans have high expectations for any new movies and are looking forward to what the franchise will shape up to be.
YEEEEEEES
WE WON
AS HUGE LOTR FAN, I'M SO HAPPY NOW
LOTR HAS 6 MOVIES, WHICH MADE 6 BILLIONS. THIS IS LITERALLY ONE OF THE TOP-5 BIGGEST AND BEST HOLLYWOOD UNIVERSES
WB CAN EASY DOMINATE WITH DC, HP AND LOTR UNDER GREAT MANAGMENT
FINALLY A REAL LOTR UNIVERSE, NOT AMAZON SHIT
— Mr. Miracul (@MMiracul) February 23, 2023
Related: Rings Of Power Showrunner Reveals Season 2 Will Take A Couple Of Years To Finish
But we should also keep in mind that there is always the risk of backlash if they don’t live up to those expectations.
In fact, there are fans who as of now don’t really believe that the new movies can surpass the original ones and they have not shied away from expressing it through social media.
You’re not going to make anything even close to what Peter Jackson did. Just find a new fantasy series to adapt instead of this
— Daniel B. Shomber (@DShomber) February 23, 2023
The Hobbit movies weren't good, Rings of power visually beautiful but boring. What makes them think they can make it work?
— Dee Nona (@DeeNona23) February 24, 2023
Amongst all this, there are few who have taken the opportunity to trash the poor performance of Amazon’s The Rings of Power with some expressing their fear that the new movies would too turn out to be the same as The Rings of Power and some hoping it’ll honor the original movies.
Wish they’d leave it alone but they can’t do worse than ROP.
— Matthew Tuthill (@MCTuthill) February 23, 2023
Can’t be worse than Rings of Power anyway
— Dammit, Marty (@DammitMarty) February 23, 2023
However, those working on the new films seem to be aware of the challenge ahead. In a statement, they acknowledged how cherished the original works are and pledged to honor the past while looking to the future.
It remains to be seen how the new movies will be received by fans, but the fact that the original filmmakers, including Peter Jackson, are aware of the project and have given their blessing is a good sign. With the right talent and deep respect for the source material, there is no reason why new Lord of the Rings movies can’t be just as successful as the original trilogy.
Source: Twitter
