A case can be made that The Lord of the Rings is the greatest film trilogy of all time. Few movie series can maintain quality across all their installments, but somehow, Peter Jackson and crew were able to deliver not one, not two, but three incredible fantasy features. So for most fans, the prospect of a LotR reboot or remake is sacrilege. Well, brace yourselves, Tolkien devotees, because new Rings movies set in have been announced and, now one of the past stars of the original series is weighing in on the idea. That’s right, Frodo Baggins himself, Elijah Wood, gave his thoughts on Warner Bros.’ plan for a new set of installments in the beloved franchise.
In February, Warner revealed its plan to create several new movies based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s intellectual property. In a recent interview with GQ, the Elijah Wood told the publication that he is optimistic that the new films will be “good." The fan-favorite actor also made note of one particular hope he has, and it involves the folks making decisions behind the scenes. Wood said:
I’m fascinated and I’m excited. I hope it’s good. I’m surprised—I don’t know why I’m surprised because, of course there would be more movies. Obviously at the core of that, is a desire to make a lot of money. It’s not that a bunch of executives are like, ‘Let’s make really awesome art. And, again, not begrudging anybody because, of course, it is commerce. But great art can come from commerce. So those two things are not mutually exclusive.
It’s clear that the Maniac star understands the business side of filmmaking, but he’s also mindful of what made the original Lord of the Rings movies so special. He continued:
But Lord of the Rings didn’t come out of that place. It came out of a passion for these books and wanting to see them realized. And I hope that that is ultimately what will drive everything forward with whatever these subsequent movies are. I just hope that it’s the same motivating factor at its core, whenever they hire a screenwriter and a filmmaker—that it is with reverence for Tolkien’s material and enthusiasm to explore it.
These comments reflect the concerns of many fans who worry that the biggest aim of the new movies is simply to make money as opposed to staying faithful to the source material. However, it’s worth noting that Warner Bros. has a history of producing successful adaptations of the beloved author's work. In addition to the original Rings trilogy, the studio also released The Hobbit trilogy and, although it received mixed reviews, it was a box office success.
Most recently, Amazon successfully produced the prequel television series The Rings of Power, loosely based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s appendices from the original novels. This small-screen adaptation required a massive budget from the streamer, and it’s still debated whether the series was a win. However, fantasy fans and many Tolkien die-hards seemed to have enjoyed the show, which has already been greenlit for a second season and, based on what we know about RoP Season 2, it's been in production since October 2022.
As of now, little is known about the new Lord of the Rings movies, including whether they will be adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s other works or entirely new stories set in Middle-earth. Regardless of who's involved, the key to making a successful Rings adaptation, at least according to Elijah Wood, is to stay true to Tolkien’s vision. As the actor said, “Great art can come from commerce,” but it’s important to remember that the original movies succeeded because they were made with a deep respect for the source material. Whether or not the new films can capture that same spirit remains to be seen.
To revisit the enchanting fantasy world, enthusiasts can stream the original trilogy with an HBO Max subscription. Another option is to use your Amazon Prime Video subscription to watch The Rings of Power, which happens to be the first live-action TV series based on the franchise.
