6 billion dollars and 17 Oscars: when will we see Lord of the Rings in cinema?

In conjunction with the broadcast of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on TMC, here’s a little spotlight on the upcoming feature films set in Middle-earth! We won’t have to wait long before we find the world of author JRR Tolkien on the big screen.

After the iconic Lord of the Rings trilogy in the early 2000s, Peter Jackson returned to this fantasy world in 2012-2014 with The Hobbit, which divided fans. Since then, the franchise based on the works of JRR Tolkien has not appeared on the big screen.

The war is raging in December!

On December 11th, War of the Rohirrim hits theaters and promises to be epic and intense! The first trailer was released on August 23rd and fans are very excited to discover the proposal of Japanese director Kenji Kamiyama for this animated film.

The narrative will focus on the mighty King of Rohan, Helm Hammerhand, and the legendary battle that helped shape Middle-earth. The action takes place about 250 years before the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The story will also develop a mysterious narrative around Helm’s Deep Castle.

This animated prequel is inspired by J.R.R. With the appendices provided by Tolkien at the end of The Return of the King (Appendix A, Chapter II: The House of Eorli). The film will notably feature female protagonist Hera, “neither princess in distress nor warrior”, daughter of King Helm, whose hand is coveted by Wulf, himself son of Freka, leader of a clan of wild men.

Peter Jackson is not artistically involved in this project other than his role as executive producer. On the other hand, his collaborator and screenwriter Philippa Boyens is a consultant for the film. Expect clan tensions, threatened alliances, arranged marriages, turf wars and more intrigue!

This feature film, which lasts 2 hours and 10 minutes, benefited from the experience of its Japanese director Kenji Kamiyama, a great lover of the world created by Tolkien and adapted by Peter Jackson.

“I love books a lot, but I especially love movies. I’m honored to be a part of this story.” He announced at the Annecy Festival last June. “I wanted my film to live up to what had already been done. That there was a real clash between this new world and the old. There was no question of doing an animated version of something that was ‘directed by Peter Jackson.’Kenji Kamiyama assured.

Return of Gollum!

In May 2024, Warner Bros. announced the return of The Lord of the Rings to theaters with a live-action The Hunt for Gollum! The director of the film will be Andy Serkis himself, who will embody the famous character of the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogy.

For the occasion, the actor will once again slip into his stage costume to portray the famous character who accompanied Sam and Frodo to Mordor. If Andy Serkis is involved, Peter Jackson will also produce.

His Lord of the Rings and Hobbit co-stars Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens will write the screenplay alongside Phoebe Gittins and Artie Papageorgiou. Suffice to say, The Hunt for Gollum is in good hands. In a recent interview with Deadline, Peter Jackson, Andy Serkis, and Philippa Boyen shared some details about their vision for The Hunt for Gollum.

“We really want to explore and delve into his story, delve into lesser-known parts of his journey that we haven’t had the chance to do in previous films. It’s too early to know who will cross his path, but suffice it to say, we’ll be taking a cue from Professor Tolkien.”– clarified Peter Jackson.

For his part, Andy Serkis also took the floor to discuss his involvement as The Hunt for Gollum. “The character has always followed me over the years. I’ve read all the Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and The Silmarillion books. So I’m very familiar with Tolkien’s world; he’s never left since we made the first films.”he explained.

“So it’s absolutely exciting to be able to go back and immerse ourselves in the world of Gollum. We’re going to explore his psychology and try to make a film that has its place in The Lord of the Rings, but that also brings something new with a completely new approach.” “Andy Serkis pointed out. The film will be released in theaters in 2026.

In anticipation of the War of the Rohirrim and the Hunt for Gollum, fans can return to Middle-earth starting August 29 on Prime Video with Season 2 of Rings of Power.