It’s true, it looks like Warner Bros. Discovery just sealed the deal on the rights to The Lord of the Rings and has its sights set on bringing Middle Earth back to the big screen. But, not Frodo right?
Which is probably the big question. Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy, which is still beloved and accepted by fans is going to be hard to top. With those films’ attention to detail, not to mention its several Oscar wins with nods to visual effects, set design, and costumes-does the world need another Lord of the Rings film?
No one was asking this question when Amazon announced their Rings of Power prequel series. But, Rings of Power focuses on the Second Age, which takes place thousands of years before the Third Age. The movie rights focus on the Third Age, which is what most audiences are familiar with.
Rest easy Tolkien fans. The Hollywood Reporter, who first broke this story, reports:
“Warner Bros. film bosses Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy signaled that they are not interested in a retread of what Jackson has already done…”
-The Hollywood Reporter
A big sigh of relief there, but then the next question is, what story will they tell? As no one can definitively answer this question so early in the process, there’s still more stories to explore.
“…the vast, complex and dazzling universe dreamed up by J.R.R. 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 via The Hollywood Reporter
The verbiage of the deal seem to be on purpose. The official word is that Warner Bros. Discovery has made a “multiyear pact” with rights holders Embracer Group AB that allows Warners to develop features based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings books and The Hobbit. So, WBD don’t own the rights, but they’ve made a pact with Embracer Group. Maybe this means that the mess WBD made with the DCEU most of last year won’t be repeated with LOTR. The Embracer Group can play the part of superviser and make sure things don’t go off the rails.
“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,” said Lee Guinchard, CEO of Freemode, which is part of Embracer.
-The Hollywood Reporter
Rings of Power lands somewhere in the middle, concerning critical success. Depending on how much of a Tolkien purist one identifies as. And there will always be someone asking the question, “Did we really want to know Aragon’s back story?” which is a valid question. The answer ultimately being if the story is worth telling, it’s worth telling it well.