The Cinematic Universe of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit Is Returning to the Big Screen

(SPOT.ph) Good news, Ringers! One of the most loved cinematic universes of all time is heading for even more expansion. 

Following the success of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogy, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav announced in an investor call that a new agreement is bringing in more The Lord of the Rings (LOTR) movies. The big screen is in need of more franchises, Zaslav said previously.  

"Twenty years ago, 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. The result was a landmark series of films that have been embraced by generations of fans," Warner Bros. chairs Michael De Luca and Pamela Adby said in a February 23 press release. "But for all the scope and detail lovingly packed into the two trilogies, the vast, complex, and dazzling universe dreamed by J.R.R. Tolkien remains largely unexplored on film."

Also read: Everything You Need to Know Before Catching The Rings of Power on Prime

What we know so far about the new The Lord of the Rings movie

We recently saw a sudden influx of LOTR content two decades after the first batch of classics came out, with Amazon Prime’s recent prequel television series The Rings of Power in 2022 and Warner Bros.’ upcoming animated movie The War of the Rohirrim in the works. The former explores the Second Age with new characters, which means everyone can enjoy the series “with no prior knowledge of anything that’s come before” as per showrunner J.D. Payne.

Now, Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema have struck a multi-year deal with video game giant Embracer Group, who recently bought the rights to produce LOTR movies, games, merchandise, and live productions.

What makes this development special is that the new movie will explore the Third Age of Middle-earth where the original LOTR franchise took place. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it is “possible that Warners could focus on new stories centering Tolkien’s big guns such as Gandalf, Bilbo, and Aragorn.”

At the same time, the new movies won’t just be a rehash of what we’ve already seen and know about the world of Middle-earth. Instead, we can expect it to delve into more content from the Tolkien books.

“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,” Freemode CEO Lee Guinchard said, who are among those working on the project as part of Embracer Group.

There you have it, Ringers. Plenty of LOTR works in the pipeline to keep us entertained while we wait for more information about the big one.

Also read: Prime's LOTR Prequel Is Pricey, Yes, But the Cast Tells Us There's Beauty Behind the Money