The Lord of the Ringsmovie trilogy co-writer Philippa Boyens teases what’s to come for the franchise, including a potential new trilogy. Based on the books by author J.R.R. Tolkien, Peter Jackson’s fantasy trilogy released from 2001 to 2003 before he then returned to makeThe Hobbittrilogy. Now, an anime calledThe War of the Rohirrimis poised for release in theaters this month anddevelopment onThe Hunt for Gollumis underway, both of which feature Jackson on board as a producer.
During a recent interview withThe Playlist, Boyens, who now comprises theLord of the Rings"brain trust" responsible for overseeing the franchise alongside Jackson and original trilogy co-writer Fran Walsh, provides a hint about the IP’s future. According to Boyens, there could be additional projects in the anime realm, as well as standalone live-action projects. Interestingly, she also teases that there is the potential for an “epic” new trilogy. Check out her comments below:
There’s a lot of [possibilities], when you look at it, there’s alotof things in there, actually. One of the things this [‘War Of The Rohirrim’] story has shown us is that a stand-alone story works really successfully within the world of Middle-earth and I would genuinely—because I’ve fallen in love with the form—love to see another anime. But that depends on the audiences out there, your audience, fans of not only the original trilogy, but that vast anime audience. I’m really interested to see what they think.
So we’re in the audience’s hands. If there’s an appetite for it, we’ve got more stories. There’s atonof stories left to be told there and some really, really interesting ones. But my preference would be, after ‘Hunt For Gollum,’ would be to look at those stand-alone stories. And then if we got really ambitious—there are some epic, particular stories that could translate into that more traditional epic trilogy format that was the original ‘Lord Of The Rings,’ the War of the Rings story.
What Boyens' Update Means For The Lord Of The Rings Franchise
When Will More Movies Arrive?
It’s now been 10 years since the release ofThe Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, which marks the last live-action movie in the franchise. Though 10 years is a long time for a successful franchise to lay dormant, it certainly looks like another break of that length may not be on the horizon.The War of the Rohirrimreleasesin the coming weeks, whileThe Hunt for Gollumis expected to bow in 2026.
Lord Of The Rings' Gollum Movie Could Be The Blueprint For Adapting A Major Event Cut From Peter Jackson’s Movies
The Lord of the Rings’ upcoming Gollum movie could offer a blueprint for adapting a major event that was cut from Peter Jackson’s trilogy.
Since Boyens, Jackson, and Walsh are clearly exploring what other Middle-earth stories there are to be told, it’s entirely possible that another project gets put into development beforeThe Hunt for Gollumeven hits theaters. Judging from Boyens' comment, however, the brain trust may wait to see how the two upcoming movies are received before leaping into another. IfThe War of the Rohirrimis a success, there could well be another anime, whileThe Hunt for Gollum’s success would be the key to additional live-action adventures.
The continuation of Warner Bros.‘Lord of the Ringsmovie franchise will seemingly run concurrently with Amazon’sThe Rings of Powerseries, for which there is a five-season plan.
Our Take On Boyens’ Lord Of The Rings Update
Is Middle-earth Fatigue On The Way?
The danger with any franchise is that audiences become overwhelmed with material and franchise fatigue sets in. Though returning to Jackson’sworld of Middle-earthmakes a lot of sense given his trilogy’s commercial success, returning to that well too many times could see diminishing returns. This is especially true if the upcoming two movies don’t deliver from a quality standpoint.
For many,Jackson’sLord of the Ringstrilogy is the gold standard when it comes to fantasy adaptations, and any future movies – even ones he directs – will likely struggle to recapture this particular brand of magic. Though the prospect of more movies in the franchise is exciting, it would be a shame to overdo it. Many questions remain aboutLord of the Rings' future, but it’s clear there could end up being far more than just two more movies.
Source:The Playlist
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a multimedia franchise consisting of several movies and a TV show released by Amazon titled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The franchise is based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s book series that began in 1954 with The Fellowship of the Ring. The Lord of the Rings saw mainstream popularity with Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies.
