Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema have made a deal to create more movies based on the acclaimed fantasy series The Lord of the Rings.
Deadline is reporting that Embracer Group AB, which holds the rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, has made a multi-year deal that will allow Warner Bros. to make new movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved books. The news was revealed during Warner Bros. Discovery’s most recent earnings call and comes after Embracer Group purchased the rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit last year.
“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,” Lee Guinchard, CEO of Freemode, which is part of Embracer Group, said in a statement. “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.”
“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,” Warner Bros. chairpersons and CEOs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy said in another statement. “The result was a landmark series of films that have been embraced by generations of fans.
“But for all the scope and detail lovingly packed into the two trilogies, 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.”
New Line Cinema and WingNut Films produced the original The Lord of the Rings trilogy, with Barrie M. Osborne, Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Tim Sanders serving as producers (Sanders only for The Fellowship of the Ring).
