Remember when New Line/Warner Bros. announced that Andy Serkis would direct “The Lord Of The Rings” spin-off and prequel, “The Hunt For Gollum,” with Peter Jackson producing, and the film would be a two-part movie?

READ MORE: 2024 Fall Film Preview: 50 Movies To Watch

Well, Apparently, Ian McKellen, who said the film would be split into two, misspoke.

In a new Empire interview with “Lord Of The Rings” screenwriter Philippa Boyens, who will likely be involved at least as a producer, the producer/writer said ‘Hunt For Gollum’ won’t be two parts, but there is another secret ‘LOTR’ movie in the works.

Continue reading ‘Lord Of The Rings’: Another Film Is In The Works & ‘Hunt For Gollum’ Isn’t A Two-Part Film; Gandalf May Appear In Both at The Playlist.

There comes a point in time when an actor doesn’t really care if they’re told to keep secrets or not. They just say it anyway. That’s apparently where we find Ian McKellen nowadays. He just can’t seem to keep quiet about the new ‘Lord of the Rings’ films.

READ MORE: 2024 Fall Film Preview: 50 Movies To Watch

While speaking to the British talk show, “This Morning,” Ian McKellen was asked, once again, if he would be returning to the upcoming ‘Lord of the Rings’ film, ‘The Hunt for Gollum.’ You may remember that very recently, he was asked that same thing, and McKellen confirmed that he would like to return.

Continue reading Ian McKellen Says New ‘Lord Of The Rings’ Project From Andy Serkis Is Being Split Into Two Films at The Playlist.

Earlier this year, it was announced that Andy Serkis is going to direct a new ‘Lord of the Rings’ live-action film, titled ‘The Hunt for Gollum,’ with Peter Jackson returning as a producer. Immediately, fans of the franchise started to wonder which familiar faces we’ll see in the cast. And not only that, but how are they going to use the same actors if it’s been more than 20 years since the films were released.

Continue reading ‘Hunt For Gollum’: Orlando Bloom Says Andy Serkis Plans On Using A.I. To Help Bring Back ‘LOTR’ Characters at The Playlist.

Back in May, it was revealed that Andy Serkis was returning to direct and star in a new ‘Lord of the Rings’ feature film, titled “The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.” However, we didn’t know too much about the film, let alone the cast. But now, it appears we can confirm one person, Ian McKellen.

READ MORE: 2024 Fall Film Preview: 50 Movies To Watch

Speaking to The Big Issue, Ian McKellen talked about returning to “The Lord of the Rings” franchise as Gandalf for ‘The Hunt for Gollum.’ Apparently, as long as nothing changes before then, McKellen is expected to make his return. 

Continue reading ‘Lord Of The Rings’: Ian McKellen Is Expected To Return For Andy Serkis’ ‘The Hunt For Gollum’ at The Playlist.

Peter Jackson‘s “Lord Of The Rings” trilogy may be a modern classic, but that doesn’t mean it was easy to make. Nor was it easy to act in, as Cate Blanchett revealed her pay for playing Galadriel was so miniscule she “basically got free sandwiches.”

‘Disclaimer’ Trailer: Cate Blanchett Leads Alfonso Caurón’s Apple TV+’s Psychological Revenge Thriller Series

IndieWire reports that Blanchett talked about her meager pay on the early ’00s trilogy in a new interview on “Watch What Happens Live.” And according to the actress, her salary covered craft services and costumes, nothing more.

Continue reading Cate Blanchett Says “No One Got Paid Anything” On The ‘Lord Of The Rings’ Trilogy: “I Basically Got Free Sandwiches” at The Playlist.

A lot of hype surrounded the debut of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” on Prime Video. The series is reportedly the most expensive in history (when you include the cost of the rights and all that), and it’s a new story set in the world of Tolkien’s classic fantasy series. And the result was, well…fine. It had a lot of viewers and was seemingly a hit for Prime Video, but it didn’t have the same sort of excitement that the “Game of Thrones” prequel did.

Continue reading ‘The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power’ Season 2 Teaser: Sauron Has Returned In Prime Video’s Hit Series at The Playlist.

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has announced that the next “Lord of The Rings” movie is aiming for a theatrical release in 2026 and will have the creative involvement of filmmaker Peter Jackson, who co-wrote and directed all six Middle-Earth feature films based on the beloved high-fantasy novels of Professor J.R.R. Tolkien. The new movie is only in the “early stages of script development” and will be titled “The Lord of The Rings: The Hunt For Gollum,” which will feature the return of Andy Serkis in the iconic role. 

Continue reading ‘Lord Of The Rings: The Hunt For Gollum’: Andy Serkis To Direct & Star In New Film Coming 2026; Peter Jackson Producing at The Playlist.

Late last month, news broke that Warner Bros. Pictures had a new multi-year deal in place with Embracer Group‘s Middle-Earth Enterprises for New Line Cinema to make more “The Lord Of The Rings” movies. That’s great news for J.R.R. Tolkien fans, but it begs the question: what will these new movies be, anyway?  Peter Jackson already did both “The Lord Of The Rings” and “The Hobbit” as trilogies.

Continue reading Andy Serkis Wants In On New ‘Lord Of The Rings’ Movies If Peter Jackson Gets Involved at The Playlist.

If you dig down into it, it’s pretty complicated to discuss the rights situation surrounding “The Lord of the Rings” IP. Warner Bros. Discovery and Embracer are working together on feature films that have to be released in theaters. Amazon Studios is working on a TV franchise with ‘The Rings of Power’ that launched last year. And neither of those studios is allowed to collaborate to make it one cohesive universe.

Continue reading Amazon Studios Boss Isn’t Worried About New ‘Lord Of The Rings’ Films Hurting ‘Rings Of Power’: “There’s Enough Fan Love to Sustain Ours” at The Playlist.

Yesterday, it was revealed that Warner Bros. Discovery (and its New Line studio) and Embracer Group have hammered out a deal to make more “Lord of the Rings” films in the future. Obviously, it’s not really known exactly what those films will cover and who is going to work on them, specifically, but they’re happening. And you can’t talk about new “Lord of the Rings” films without talking about Peter Jackson, the director of two separate ‘Rings’ film trilogies. 

Continue reading Peter Jackson Has Been “Kept In The Loop” About Plans For New ‘Lord Of The Rings’ Films at The Playlist.

Most people know James Corden as the bombastic host of CBS‘ “The Late Late Show.” Or audiences may know him from his pitiful acting in the likes of “Ocean’s 8,” “Cinderella,” or 2019’s execrable laugh riot “Cats.” But in some deranged alternate universe, James Corden might have landed the role of Samwise Gamgee over Sean Astin in Peter Jackson‘s “The Lord Of The Rings” film trilogy.

Continue reading James Corden Reveals He Auditioned For Samwise Gamgee Role In Peter Jackson’s ‘The Lord Of The Rings’ Films & It Was “Not Good” at The Playlist.

It’s common knowledge, at this point, that Amazon Studios paid roughly $700 million for the first season of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.” That does include more than $200 million for the rights agreement with the Tolkien Estate, but even still, that’s a mammoth amount of money. And instead of going with tried and true showrunners or filmmakers with an established pedigree, Amazon Studios chose relative unknowns, Patrick McKay and J.D.

Continue reading ‘Lord Of The Rings’: Details Emerge About The TV Pitches From HBO, Netflix, The Russos & More That Didn’t Make The Cut at The Playlist.

The wildly successful premiere of “House of the Dragon,” the prequel to HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” was criticized by some viewers for being a bit too overly familiar. Anyone who felt that way about the origin story of the Targaryens is likely to have a similar response to Prime Video’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” the streaming giant’s incredibly expensive tale of the early days of Middle-earth and the characters created by J.R.R.

Continue reading ‘The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power’ Review: Massive Production Gets Off To A Promising Start at The Playlist.

To be frank, it shouldn’t have happened. And while it’s not unprecedented it’s pretty damn close. No, we’re not talking about Amazon Prime Video spending $250 million for the television rights to “The Appendices” at the end of J.R.R. Tolkein’s “The Lord of the Rings.” In theory, that payday may actually turn out to be a pretty reasonable gamble if enough people keep their Prime memberships. What is almost just as incredible is the fact that longtime writing partners J.D.

Continue reading ‘The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power’: J.D. Payne & Patrick McKay Achieve The Impossible, But It’s Not What You Think at The Playlist.

We are just over a week away from the two-episode premiere of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.” After years of waiting and all the hype about this being the most expensive TV series of all time, we are finally about to experience it for ourselves. And the latest trailer for the show gives us a peek at what’s to come.

READ MORE: Embracer Group Acquires Full Film & TV IP Rights To ‘The Lord Of The Rings’ And ‘The Hobbit’

As seen in the trailer, ‘The Rings of Power’ is set hundreds of years before “The Hobbit” and the original ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy.

Continue reading ‘Rings Of Power’ Trailer: The ‘Lord Of The Rings’ Series Shows Off Its Epic Action In Newest Peek at The Playlist.

The first two episodes of Amazon‘s mega-budgeted “The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power” hit Amazon Prime on September 1. But that show’s inception may no longer be the biggest “Lord Of The Rings” news out there.

READ MORE: ‘Lord Of The Rings’ Comic-Con Trailer: The Tolkein Legend Begins Again With ‘The Rings Of Power’

Deadline reports that Swedish video game company Embracer Group acquired Middle-earth Enterprises, a division of the Saul Zaentz Company, which owns the intellectual property catalog and worldwide rights to all things related to “Lord Of The Rings.” So what exactly does this mean?

Continue reading Embracer Group Acquires Full Film & TV IP Rights To ‘The Lord Of The Rings’ And ‘The Hobbit’ at The Playlist.

Almost a year ago, WarnerMedia announced plans to work on an anime set in the world of “The Lord of the Rings,” titled “The War of the Rohirrim.” At the time, there weren’t a ton of details, but now, WarnerMedia has made it official with a sneak peek at some concept art and a 2024 release date.

According to Variety, “The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim” is set to arrive in theaters on April 12, 2024.

Continue reading ‘The War Of The Rohirrim’: WB’s Upcoming ‘Lord Of The Rings’ Anime Prequel Film Hitting Theaters In 2024 at The Playlist.

For a series that has been in the works for years and has been under intense fan scrutiny since the initial announcement, we really don’t know a whole lot about the upcoming ‘Lord of the Rings’ Amazon show. Sure, we know it’s a prequel. And we know it’s arriving in September. But not much else. Well, at least now we know the title.

READ MORE: The 70 Most Anticipated TV Shows & Mini-Series Of 2022

According to Amazon, the full title for the fantasy series is “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.” No, that’s not a great title at all.

Continue reading ‘Lord Of The Rings’ TV Series Announces Full Title In A New Teaser at The Playlist.

One doesn’t simply walk into a “Lord of the Rings” episode—at least not without a 20-year anniversary and amateur Tolkien scholar Brent Rivers on one’s side. On today’s blockbuster Be Reel, our fellowship reflects on an all-time great film trilogy, assessing LOTR’s bizarre relationship to star power, how Peter Jackson adapted almost anti-modern novels, and how the trilogy’s approach to franchise filmmaking stands alone.

Continue reading ‘The Fellowship Of The Ring’ At 20: Heralding An Unmatched Trilogy’s Journey There And Back Again [Be Reel Podcast] at The Playlist.

At the risk of repeating ourselves, though we do encourage you to read our intro and list of the Best TV Shows & Mini-Series of 2021, there is a lot of television out there and it’s only growing. And growing immensely. With the advent of the streaming age and then the super-charged streaming age of the last two/three years. In trying to catch up to Netflix, Disney+ launched November 2019, AppleTV+ and HBO Max weren’t far behind and now pretty much every company in movies and television has its own streaming network.

Continue reading The 70 Most Anticipated TV Shows & Mini-Series Of 2022 at The Playlist.

Peter Jackson is an incredibly accomplished filmmaker who just recently completed work on a new Beatles docuseries that just debuted on Disney+, titled “Get Back.” But for many people, Jackson is best known for his work as the filmmaker behind the acclaimed “Lord of the Rings” film series. But what you might not know is that his Beatles work and ‘Rings’ work has a bit of a crossover. 

Continue reading ‘Lord Of The Rings’: Peter Jackson Shares Story About The Beatles’ Failed Attempt To Make A Film Adaptation Of Tolkien’s Work at The Playlist.

Is everyone ready to venture back to Middle-earth? Well, Amazon sure hopes so. But don’t worry, you don’t have to be excited just yet, as the Prime Video release of the “Lord of the Rings” TV series is still more than a year away.

READ MORE: ‘Lord Of The Rings’: Billy Boyd & Dominic Monaghan Say Peter Jackson Was Pressured To Kill A Hobbit

According to the official Twitter account for Amazon’s “Lord of the Rings,” the series has an official release date of September 2, 2022.

Continue reading Amazon’s ‘Lord Of The Rings’ Series Releases First Image & Announces Fall 2022 Release Date at The Playlist.

Tolkien fans are incredibly excited about the forthcoming “The Lord of the Rings” TV series. Not only is it an extension of the beloved Peter Jackson films, but it’s also going to explore a time in Middle-earth that has yet to be seen on screen. And when it was announced, it was clear Amazon was committing quite a bit of resources to the series, as it was guaranteed at least two seasons.

Continue reading ‘Lord Of The Rings’: Amazon Reportedly Spending $465 Million On The First Season Of The Fantasy Series at The Playlist.

After years of preproduction and development, Amazon Studios’ billion-dollar “Lord of the Rings” TV series is already deep into production in New Zealand. And while we know most of the cast, it was still a mystery who was going to take over directing duties after already-announced J.A. Bayona finished his duties. Well, now we know.

According to Amazon, filmmaker Wayne Che Yip is taking over where Bayona leaves off and will direct the remaining episodes of the first season of “The Lord of the Rings.” Bayona is the director of the first two episodes.

Continue reading Wayne Che Yip To Direct Amazon’s ‘Lord Of The Rings’ TV Series at The Playlist.

The list of actors cut out of Terrence Malick’s classic 1998 “The Thin Red Line” war movie is long and legendary (we’ve dedicated entire features to digging up nuggets of stories over the years). And actor Viggo Mortensen—cut out of early roles in films like Woody Allen’s “The Purple Rose of Cairo,” and Jonathan Demme‘s “Swing Shift”—knows a thing or two about being left on the cutting room floor.

Continue reading ‘The Thin Red Line’: Viggo Mortensen Explains Why He Had To Turn Down A Major Role In Terrence Malick’s War Film at The Playlist.