News broke this morning that Warner Bros. Pictures will be producing more Lord of the Rings films, begging one question in particular: Will Peter Jackson, the man who helmed the six films before it, be returning to the franchise?
It certainly seems as if that’s option A.
As Warner Bros. brokered a deal with Embracer, who owns the rights to the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, they apparently have been keeping Jackson in the loop on every move—signaling that they want him involved in another series of films.
According to Variety, who reached out to Jackson for comment, he and his collaborators Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens have been involved.
Peter Jackson comments on the new Lord of the Rings movies
“[Warner Bros. and Embracer have kept us in the loop every step of the way,” said Jackson to Variety.
“We look forward to speaking with them further to hear their vision for the franchise moving forward,” Jackson continued in a joint statement with Boyens and Walsh.
Freemode, a division of Embracer Group, made the deal.
“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,” said Lee Guinchard, CEO of Freemode. “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.”
What will these movies be about exactly? That is anyone’s guess. But we know it won’t cover the rise of Sauron, as that is already being done to the tune of $1 billion over at Amazon Studios, which is currently filming season two of Rings of Power in the UK.
Perhaps a The Children of Húrin adaptation? Anyone? anyone? Bueller?