Warner. Bros make 20-year announcement: When is the next Lord of the Rings movie coming out

Warner Bros. made an announcement on Thursday that has been expected for more than two decades: when the next “Lord of the Rings” movie based on the beloved universe created by British writer JRR Tolkien will be released, reports Variety and Forbes.

The announcement was made precisely by David Zaslav, the CEO of the media conglomerate Warner Bros. Discovery, stating during the company’s earnings call with investors on Thursday that the new feature film is in the early stages of development, but that its script has already begun to be written.

He also said that the upcoming film Lord of the Rings “will explore stories that have yet to be told” and clarified several things that have been left up in the air for more than a year as Warner Bros. announced in February 2023 that he would create new films for this franchise, but also for The Hobbitthe other trilogy based on Tolkien’s writings.

The Battle of the Five Armiesthe feature film that concluded the trilogy The Hobbit hit theaters a decade ago while Return of the Kingthe last film Lord of the Ringswas released 21 years ago.

Although the new film based on Tolkien’s writings has now gone straight, fans will have to wait until they see it in theaters, with Zaslav telling investors that Warner Bros. has set a 2026 release date.

Peter Jackson to return as producer for new ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie

One of the unknowns at the time Warner Bros. announced in February 2023 that he would be coming up with new feature films Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit was whether New Zealand director Peter Jackson, who directed all 6 films of the original trilogies, would return to the director’s chair for future films as well.

He summed it up by saying in a press release that “he is kept up to date with all the stages” of production.

Zaslav has now confirmed the return of both Jackson and his long-running collaborators Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. The two New Zealand filmmakers will write the script for the new film and will be among its producers. Walsh, wife of Peter Jackson, and Boyens have worked with the director on all 6 previous films.

But unlike the previous feature films, Jackson will also be a producer of the upcoming film, not a director.

“For over two decades audiences have loved the ‘Lord of the Rings’ film trilogy because of Peter, Fran and Philippa’s unquestionable dedication to protecting the legacy of Tolkien’s works and ensuring audiences can experience them in a way that honors them the literary vice and the incredible world he created,” Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy, the two heads of the Warner Bros. studio, said in a press release. Pictures.

The new ‘Lord of the Rings’ movie will be called ‘The Hunt for Gollum’

In the same press release after Zaslav’s discussion with investors, Warner Bros. also revealed the name of the next movie: The Lord of The Rings: The Hunt for Gollum (The Hunt for Gollum).

However, the statement described the title as “working”, which in Hollywood jargon means that it may undergo changes later.

One certainty is that British actor Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in all 6 films based on Tolkien’s universe, will return to the role for the next film. Moreover, he will also be the director of the new feature film and one of its executive producers.

It has not yet been revealed whether other actors from the original trilogy Lord of the Rings such as Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin or Cate Blanchett will return in the new film.

The original Lord of the Rings trilogy was a huge success at both the box office and awards

The 3 movies Lord of the Rings directed by Jackspn and released between 2001 and 2003 were huge box office hits, grossing a total of $3 billion. If we adjust the numbers to account for inflation over the past few decades, they would be among the highest-grossing films in theaters of all time.

The trilogy The Hobbit that followed between 2012 and 2014 matched these receipts, although the numbers were less spectacular a decade later.

But the trilogy Lord of the Rings was a major success not only in theaters but also among film critics, with the original 3 films being nominated for 30 Academy Awards and winning 17 of them, including Best Picture for Return of the King.

The third film in the franchise won 11 Academy Awards in 2004, a record it shares with Titanic and Ben-Hur.

The upcoming “Lord of the Rings” feature film will not be related to the series produced by Amazon

The new movies Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit will be produced by Warner Bros. in partnership with Embracer Group, the Swedish media holding that in August 2022 bought the rights to the films, video games, board games, merchandise, theme parks and theatrical works related to Tolkien’s literary works.

As such, their production will be unrelated to the series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power produced and distributed by Amazon on its streaming platform.

Amazon acquired the rights to produce the TV series in a separate deal with JRR Tolkien’s heirs before Embracer Group bought the rights to the wider universe-related franchise Lord of the Rings.