Studio giant Warner Bros. and its film label New Line have announced a deal that includes developing more Lord of the Rings films.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. and New Line have closed a multi-year deal with Embracer Group AB, which holds the film, gaming, merchandise, theme parks and live productions rights to Lord of the Rings.
Peter Jackson directed the Lord of the Rings trilogy, released from 2001-03. The series has grossed a combined $2.9 billion at the box office, with 2003’s Return of the King winning the Oscar for best picture. Then Jackson returned to direct The Hobbit trilogy from 2012-2014.
The upcoming films are not expected to be remakes of the previous trilogies of Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. In a statement, Jackson and his Lord of the Rings partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens noted they were aware of the latest development. Amazon holds the TV rights to Lord of the Rings, with its big-budget Rings of Power debuting last year.