A new Lord of the Rings film is in development, but it highlights a recurring issue with big franchises, particularly in science fiction and fantasy. The initial live-action adaptations were incredibly successful – Peter Jackson’s original movies are considered masterpieces and form a truly exceptional trilogy. However, subsequent attempts haven’t lived up to that standard.
Even though recent Tolkien adaptations like *The Hobbit* films, *The Rings of Power*, and *The War of the Rohirrim* have faced challenges, the franchise remains incredibly popular. This means we can expect more films and potentially more TV series in the future. The next project, alongside Season 3 of *The Rings of Power*, will be *The Hunt for Gollum*, scheduled for 2027. Andy Serkis will direct and star in the film, which takes place during the events of *The Fellowship of the Ring*. The story follows Gandalf and Aragorn as they try to find Gollum before Sauron’s armies do. It’s another continuation of the beloved Tolkien universe with familiar faces.
The Lord Of The Rings Hasn’t Moved Past The Original Trilogy
The new film, *The Hunt for Gollum*, directly revisits the world of the original *Lord of the Rings* trilogy, taking place during the same period. This highlights a larger issue: the franchise seems unable to move past those initial films and characters. While *The Hobbit* movies were naturally connected as a prequel, they unnecessarily expanded the story and forced more prominent roles for characters from the original trilogy, ultimately harming the films.
Despite being set thousands of years in the past, *The Rings of Power* has followed a similar pattern to many other big franchises like *Star Wars*, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and *Harry Potter*. Instead of creating entirely new stories, the show relies heavily on familiar characters like Galadriel, Sauron, and even Gandalf, and focuses on connecting to the original, more popular stories. This reliance on nostalgia – essentially, ‘here’s something you already know and love’ – is common in prequels and spin-offs, often at the expense of telling a truly original tale.
While it’s rare, expanding a franchise can still succeed, as seen with *Andor* from Star Wars. However, it’s notable because it prioritizes strong storytelling, compelling characters, and a believable world, with the franchise itself taking a backseat. This approach feels more natural and authentic. Ultimately, these franchises will always return to their original source material – that’s where the audience is – but it often creates a feeling of being stuck, preventing significant growth and evolution.
The history of Middle-earth spans thousands of years, offering countless stories that could be adapted for the screen, even without focusing on the most famous characters or the quest for the One Ring. A return to the First Age would be particularly exciting, though rights issues make that challenging. However, it seems more probable that, like many franchises, they’ll keep revisiting familiar territory. The issue with that approach is that each return tends to yield smaller results, and there’s only so much you can do with established characters and storylines.
Audiences also influence what succeeds – the Marvel Cinematic Universe, for example, makes the most money with movies featuring surprise appearances, while its recent films haven’t performed as well. If a new series can achieve moderate success, especially with reasonable budgets, and offer compelling characters and stories, it can create a strong foundation for future development – something we’re not currently seeing with shows like The Lord of the Rings and others.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will be released in theaters on December 17th, 2027.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
Read More
- Gold Rate Forecast
- How the Marvel Multiverse Works
- Top gainers and losers
- 10 Great Batman Comics That Are Terrible For DC Beginners
- Guide: Battlefield 6 Open Beta: All Weekend 2 Start Times and PS Plus Double XP
- The 10 Most Powerful Marvel Zombies Characters in Comics, Ranked
- 13 Years Ago, EA Killed a Series That Should’ve Gone Toe to Toe With Battlefield and CoD
- 7 Best Clone Troopers in Star Wars, Ranked By Impact
- ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ Writer, Star Revisit the Show’s ‘Seinfeld’ Reunion
- The 13 Best Original Netflix Sci-Fi Movies, Ranked
2025-10-15 01:15