Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav revealed on a Thursday earnings call that newly appointed studio leaders Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy have negotiated a deal to produce "multiple" films based on the adored J. R. R. Tolkien books. The projects will be made under the New Line Cinema imprint of WB. Peter Jackson directed the first trilogy, "The Lord of the Rings," which made nearly $3 billion worldwide. The sequel trilogy directed by Jackson and based on Tolkien's "The Hobbit" was just as successful.
In a statement to Variety, Jackson and his main "Lord of the Rings" collaborators Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens said that Warner Bros. and Embracer "have kept us in the loop every step of the way." However, no filmmakers have been attached to the projects as of yet.
Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens said, "We look forward to speaking with them further to hear their vision for the franchise moving forward."
The adaptive rights deal for books like "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" was done by Freemode, a division of Embracer Group. Middle-earth Enterprises will be the name used to bill for the agreement.
Notably, De Luca and Abdy left MGM last year to lead Warner Bros. Their departure came after Amazon bought MGM. Amazon owns the TV rights to "Lord of the Rings" and produced a single season of television for over $450 million in 2022.
Lee Guinchard, Freemode's chief executive officer, stated, "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 plan to honor the past, look to the future, and adhere to the highest level of quality and production values, working with our partners at New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures. We understand how cherished these works are.
According to De Luca and Abdy, 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... but for all the scope and detail lovingly packed into the two trilogies, the vast, complex, and dazzling universe conceived by J.R.R. Tolkien remains largely unexplored."
The dates and scope of the inaugural projects were not immediately made public. Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, and Cate Blanchett all appeared in the first Jackson trilogy. Those three films were nominated for 30 Academy Awards and won 17 of them, including best picture for "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" in 2003. The King's Reappearance."
The upcoming slate at Warner Bros. is packed. "Shazam! " marked the end of the second quarter. Within the next few weeks, "Fury of the Gods" will be released. The summer begins with "The Flash," directed by Ezra Miller, and is followed by "Barbie," which stars Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie and is directed by Greta Gerwig. In "Meg 2:," which opens in August, Jason Statham will once more face a prehistoric shark. The Trench," and DC's "Blue Beetle" will be released by New Line.
Timtohee Chalamet will have a big hit at the end of the year, first in "Dune: Part Two," and then in "Wonka," the origin story of the candyman. The musical "The Color Purple" and Jason Momoa in "Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom" will make the ear drop.
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