It’s hard to overstate how much of a rare gem the originalLord of the Ringstrilogy is when it comes to its place in cinematic history. Development lasted for three years before filming began. All three films were shot simultaneously. Not to mention, the amount of blood, sweat, and tears Weta Workshop put into the films made not only for a good adaptation, but one where the audience felt like they were experiencing Middle-earth for themselves. Just look at the hype for theupcomingTales of the Shiregame.
The trilogy was so good that even The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, not one to look highly upon blockbusters, nominated the series for 30 Academy Awards, 17 of which were won. The films are, in other words, absolute classics.Lord of the Rings: Return of the Kingdeserves special mention for solidifying fantasy as not only cool, but profitable as well.
However, it’s hard to replicate that kind of lighting in a bottle.The Hobbittrilogy has its fans, but most agree that the film series has its drawbacks as well, includingthe Tauriel love triangle. The films didn’t have the same impact that the original trilogy had. However, Peter Jackson and his team are ready to make their return to Middle-earth with the upcomingThe Hunt for Gollum, which hasrecently been revealed to be a duology. However, should Lord of the Rings, as a franchise, really be retreading old ground at this stage of the game?
Other Entries Are Attempting to Branch Out
Both the upcoming anime movieThe War of the Rohirrimand the Prime Video seriesThe Rings of Powerare bringing something different to the table when it comes to the classic fantasy franchise.The War of the Rohirrim, set 183 years before the events of the original trilogy, will follow its first female lead, Héra, the daughter of Helm Hammerhand, a legendary ruler of Rohan. After Rohan is attacked by Wulf, a Dunleading lord, Helm Hammerhand and his people are forced to take a last stand in Hornburg, which will later be Helm’s Deep.
The Rings of Power, on the other hand, takes place thousands of years beforeThe HobbitandLord of the Ringstrilogies.Rings of Powerbuilds its story not directly from J.R.R. Tolkien’s original works, but takes pieces of lore to create its own narrative, includingbuilding on Galadriel’s character.Rings of Powermay have its detractors, but it’s trying something new, which is more than could be said for rehashing Gollum’s well-known narrative.
There Are Other LOTR Stories to Tell
WhileRings of Powermay have mined a lot from Tolkein’s appendices, there are still other stories to tell. While Peter Jackson and his team, unfortunately, do not have the rights toThe Silmarillion, there’s still a lot to explore fromTheLord of the Rings.For example, Aragorn is one ofThe Lord of the Ring’s most popular characters, a dependable leader who goes on to be agreat king who ushers in a new era of peacefollowing the events of the original trilogy. Following Aragorn before he became the man viewers first met inFellowship of the Ringhas a lot of potential to not only highlight a fan favorite, but also to expand on his growth as a character.
Additionally, The Angmar War, which was a centuries-long conflict led between Arnor and the forces of Angmar, has silver screen potential. It would also be an opportunity to bring back theWitch-king of Angmar,a great antagonist, who has appeared in both trilogies thus far.
Concerns About Turning LOTR Into a “Universe”
That said, other fans are concerned that too many Peter Jackson projects are an attempt to formLOTRinto a cash cow universe similar to Marvel. Again, the original trilogy had three years of development time. That timeframe was necessary to craft Middle Earth and create a strong enough road map for the films to be a success. With at least the firstHunt for Gollummovie slated for 2026, there are some concerns that the film is taking the Marvel approach of pumping out content to keep audiences constantly aware of the IP. Already in Phase 5, many once loyal MCU viewers arebeginning to experience Marvel fatigue.Lord of the Ringsfans don’t want that to happen to Middle Earth.
Regardless of an opinion piece, the fact is thatThe Hunt for Gollumis on the horizon. There are many fans who have faith in both Peter Jackson and Andy Serkis, who will be directing and more than likely reprising the titular role, respectively. Even thoughThe Hunt for Gollumfeels like retreading old territory rather than expanding on other stories that could be told in Middle-earth, there is still the chance that some of the old magic might spark again in these new films.
