Warner Bros announced new Lord of the Rings movies on the horizon on Thursday (23 February), immediately upsetting fans of Peter Jackson’s trilogy.
Warner Bros Discovery CEO David Zaslav said that “multiple” new movies based on JRR Tolkien’s beloved books would be developed by its production company, New Line Cinema.
The same studio developed Jackson’s trilogy in the Noughties, which earned $3bn worldwide and 17 Academy Awards.
Fans anxious that Jackson’s legacy might be tarnished quickly took to Twitter to express their objections.
“Nobody has new ideas,” Bloomberg reporter Lucas Shaw lamented.
“I, a person who loves Lord of the Rings, do not think we should make more Lord of the Rings movies,” entertainment writer Esther Zuckerman tweeted.
One fan shared a clip from Breaking Bad alongside the news in which Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) berates Walter White (Bryan Cranston), saying: “We had a good thing you stupid son of a b****! It was perfect. But no, you just had to blow it up!”
“Please leave the series ALONE. PLEASE. Just let them rest in paradise,” tweeted another.
While Amazon owns the TV rights to Tolkien’s work, Swedish company Embracer Group bought the rights to Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films, games, merchandise, theme parks and live productions in 2022.
“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 JRR Tolkien back to the big screen in new and exciting ways,” said Lee Guinchard, CEO of Embracer 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 honour the past, look to the future, and adhere to the strongest level of quality and production values.”
More details about the project, including release dates, directors and casts have not yet been disclosed.
King Theoden star Bernard Hill recently lampooned Amazon’s Rings of Power series, saying Jackson’s trilogy should have “completely” put an end to future Tolkien adaptations.
