Lord of the Rings Reportedly Fast Tracked New Anime to Keep Movie Rights

Lord of the Rings Reportedly Fast Tracked New Anime to Keep Movie Rights

As a seasoned observer with a penchant for cinema history and a soft spot for Middle-earth adventures, I must say that the release of “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” is an intriguing turn of events. It seems this film was less about box office earnings and more about preserving the feature film rights, which is a fascinating strategy in the ever-evolving landscape of Hollywood.

The movie titled “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” is now showing in cinemas nationwide across the U.S., with reports suggesting that its production was expedited to secure New Line Cinema’s rights for the Lord of the Rings franchise. Recently, Warner Bros. Discovery has been expanding its presence in the anime industry, launching various new projects based on their other franchises. This venture into anime has resulted in adaptations like “Suicide Squad Isekai” and “Batman Ninja vs. Yakuza League” from DC Comics, and plans for a theatrical release of an upcoming Lord of the Rings anime film.

Based on a recent Variety report, The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim earned $4.6 million USD during its domestic theater opening weekend. However, despite this initial low earnings, it’s suggested that the movie won’t be labeled as a failure. With a production budget of $30 million, the film should recover more when its box office run concludes. Interestingly, making money at the box office wasn’t the primary reason for greenlighting the project. Instead, according to the report, it was expedited to keep New Line Cinema holding onto the feature film rights.

The War of the Rohirrim Reportedly Got Made For Other Purposes

It appears that the creative minds behind “The Lord of the Rings” are rumored to be developing new movies centered around Gollum (with Andy Serkis), along with other franchise projects. According to Variety, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” has been expedited and produced in order to maintain rights under New Line Cinema while these upcoming live-action films are being created for a release starting from 2026. Whether this report is accurate or not remains uncertain, but it does align with the overall strategy of the franchise. It’s worth noting that it has been quite some time since a film like this has debuted in theaters, as streaming TV series projects have become increasingly popular on platforms such as Prime Video.

As an observer, I find myself drawn to the announcement that “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” aligns with Warner Bros. Discovery’s strategy to broaden their franchises via anime adaptations. Given its potential for success, it appears as a prudent choice. This upcoming film boasts some prominent anime industry talent and presents an untold tale from J.R.R. Tolkien’s extensive “The Lord of the Rings” literature. The film’s success is contingent on potential future “The Lord of the Rings” releases, making it a promising opportunity to gauge audience reception.

Lord of the Rings Reportedly Fast Tracked New Anime to Keep Movie Rights

The War of the Rohirrim Isn’t Doing So Well in Theaters

Despite its strong earnings during the opening weekend, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim isn’t faring well critically either. This anime movie, set 180 years before the events of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, currently has a 51% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and an 83% approval rating from audiences. It’s being described as a less “epic” experience compared to its predecessors, with some critics even labeling it as overly lengthy.

Initially, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” was considered an innovative venture even before its announcement. Consequently, it’s not entirely unexpected that the film hasn’t been a blockbuster hit in cinemas just yet. However, once it becomes available for streaming, there’s a good chance it will gain more traction among fans, especially those who are passionate about anime and express their enthusiasm for the project.

HT – Variety

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2024-12-16 02:39