New LORD OF THE RINGS Content Coming in 2024
By Movieguide® Contributor
New content for THE LORD OF THE RINGS fans is coming to screens in 2024.
Fans can expect to see THE RINGS OF POWER SEASON 2 and an animated movie, THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM.
“WB has decided to revisit The Lord of the Rings again in an effort to bring the franchise back to big screens.” Movie Web said about Warner Bros.’ THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM. “The first film of this endeavor is not, as you would expect, another live-action adventure. Instead, it is an animated feature that is visually inspired by many popular anime films as well as the live-action LORD OF THE RINGS films.”
“This film, titled THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM, is a spin-off/prequel that tells the story of the famous Helm Hammerhand, King of Rohan, who ruled over 250 years prior to the events of THE LORD OF THE RINGS,” Movie Web continued. “It was in honor of the brave deeds and ferocity of Helm Hammerhand that Helm’s Deep, the Rohirrim stronghold featured in THE TWO TOWERS, was given its name.”
Though THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM is a different medium than the other movies, the producers still value continuity. So Miranda Otto, who played Éowyn in the LOTR movies, will voice Éowyn in the animation as well.
CBR said, “Spinning one of the highest-grossing and critically acclaimed franchises into an anime is both a surprising and a risky step. One of the reasons why LOTR was a massive hit was its impeccable CGI for its time and the impressive combination of cinema and effects.”
Originally scheduled for an April release, the picture will now hit theaters on DeC. 13.
The other big upcoming LOTR project is Amazon Prime’s THE RINGS OF POWER Season 2.
Screen Rant shared what Season 2’s storyline will be: “Season 1 ended with the three elven rings forged and, unlike in Tolkien’s novels, mithril is the key to their creation. The forging of more rings will require more mithril, meaning the ongoing story of Khazad-dûm and the Balrog that lurks beneath the mines will surely be important. Meanwhile, Gandalf is journeying to the lands of Rhûn, an area Tolkien never really explored but seems to be significant in the RINGS OF POWER season 2 story.”
THE RINGS OF POWER Season 1 had a mixed reaction from viewers. Despite this, Amazon will plow ahead in the same style of inventing new elements and reshaping characters from the LOTR books.
A glorified statue of Fëanor can be seen in set photos as a respected figure, but this is not how J. R. R. Tolkien wrote his character in the LOTR books.
“Amazon seems to be retconning Elven history to paint Fëanor as a heroic and respected ruler, when in Tolkien’s canon the High King of the Ñoldor was a headstrong and reckless figure…It’s one of many changes Amazon has made for THE RINGS OF POWER season 2 that Tolkien scholars and LOTRfans are highly skeptical of,” Screen Rant notes.
Movieguide® reported on Season 2 production developments in January 2023:
Production for the second season of THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RINGS OF POWER is already underway, and some recent behind-the-scenes set pictures hinted at what fans can expect from the upcoming episodes…
Photos of a constructed set show a detailed castle courtyard being constructed, including covered walkways, towers, and what appears to be a fountain.
Fans have hypothesized that this will mean the second season will take the characters to Lindon, the Elven region of LORD OF THE RINGS’ fictional land.
“Season two of THE RINGS OF POWER has yet to receive an official release date, but given that it is already in post-production, it is expected to drop sometime in 2024, likely in the summer or fall,” Movie Web reported.
Though THE RINGS OF POWER SEASON 2 and THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM are all that’s lined up for 2024, Warner Bros. teases more live-action movies to come in future years.
“Earlier in 2023, WB Discovery president David Zaslav discussed how he felt that the studio has been undervaluing and underutilizing the LORD OF THE RINGS franchise,” Move Web reported. “Because of this, he and the studio intend to start actively developing new LORD OF THE RINGS films.”
“As is already evident with THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM (which was already in development long before Zaslav got the top job), these films could be anything set in the world of Middle-Earth, whether they be prequels, sequels or spin-offs,” Movie Web said. “Specifically, Zaslav stated that he envisioned THE LORD OF THE RINGS operating similarly to Disney’s STAR WARS, with new films opening every few years.”
