New films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s worlds of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are in the works, the result of a multi-year agreement between numerous companies.
The Embracer Group AB, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Middle-earth-Enterprises, part of the operative group Freemode, has, together with New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures concluded a multi-year agreement to collaborate on feature films based on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
The strategic agreement covers multiple feature films based on the revered works of J.R.R. Tolkien, expanding upon the much-loved world and characters of Middle-earth.
Middle-earth Enterprises owns exclusive worldwide rights to motion picture, merchandising, stage and other rights in certain literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien including The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. They’ve produced and licensed films, stage productions and merchandise based on these Tolkien works for more than four decades, inspired by a deep appreciation for the fictional world created by J.R.R. Tolkien.
The agreement comes 20 years after New Line Cinema released Peter Jackson’s epic The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. The films are among the most successful and acclaimed of all time, winning seventeen Oscars including eleven for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, tying the record for a single film.
The Studio re-teamed with Jackson for a trilogy of films based on The Hobbit, a co-production with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures. Combined, the six films earned nearly $6B in box office worldwide.
New Line and Warner Bros. Animation are currently in production on The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, an original anime, set 183 years before the events in The Lord of the Rings.
The film tells the fate of the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan, and will arrive in cinemas on 12th April 2024.
”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,” said Lee Guinchard, CEO of Freemode, “bringing the incomparable world of J.R.R. Tolkien back to the big screen in new and exciting ways.
“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,” said Warner Bros. Pictures Group Co-Chairs and CEOs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy. “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 honour, and we are excited to partner with Middle-earth Enterprises and Embracer on this adventure.”
This agreement is one of the deals with several industry partners, previously discussed in conjunction with Embracer’s Q3 report February 2023, that are jointly transformative. This specific partnership aims to create long-term value for Embracer Group and is expected to have limited effects in the short term.
• The Lord of the Rings: J.R.R. Tolkien, Illustrated by the author | ISBN: 978-0008471286 (AmazonUK Affiliate Link)
• The Lord of the Rings Boxed Set | ISBN: 978-0008537753 (AmazonUK Affiliate Link)
• Lord of the Rings films and more on Blu-Ray and DVD (AmazonUK Affiliate Link)
• Embracer Group: embracer.com
• Middle-earth Enterprises: middleearth.com
• Tolkien Estate: tolkienestate.com
John Freeman
The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Star Trek Explorer (previously known as Star Trek Magazine) and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War and “Dan Dare”. He’s the writer of "Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies" for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
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