David Zaslav Announces ‘Lord Of The Rings’ Movies In the Future

Warner Bros. Pictures is resurrecting the “Lord of the Rings” film franchise. On a Thursday earnings call, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav announced that newly-installed studio leaders Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy have brokered a deal to make “multiple” films based on the beloved J. R. R. Tolkien books. The projects will be developed through WB label New Line Cinema. The first “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, helmed by Peter Jackson, grossed nearly $3 billion worldwide; Jackson’s follow-up trilogy based on Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” matched those grosses.

The films will be developed through the Warner Bros production company New Line Cinema, which produced the trilogy made by the director Peter Jackson between 2001 and 2003. Those films grossed almost $3bn around the world, with the third instalment, The Return of the King, winning 11 Oscars including best picture at the Academy Awards.

“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.”

Middle-earth Enterprises owns exclusive worldwide motion picture, games, merchandising, stage and other rights in certain Tolkein literary works including The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. They have licensed and produced films, games, stage productions and merchandise based on the works for more than four decades. Embracer in August bought the Middle-earth film rights from late Oscar-winning producer Saul Zaentz.