This year, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring turns 25 years old. In that time, that film and its sequels changed the way people make movies, watch movies, and appreciate movies. It’s truly difficult to quantify just how impactful the work Peter Jackson and his team did has been ever since. But, next year, a bunch of them are going to try to do it again. Which is no easy task.
On December 17, 2027, Warner Bros. is releasing The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. Directed by and starring Gollum himself, Andy Serkis, the film will attempt to recapture the magic Peter Jackson created with his original Lord of the Rings trilogy, which was only partially achieved with his Hobbit trilogy. Thankfully, Serkis is well aware of that challenge and, speaking to Empire, talked about the difficult bullseye this movie needs to hit.
“It is a phenomenal challenge, exciting and of course terrifying at the same time,” Serkis told the magazine. “We have a very specific task ahead of us. A return to Middle-earth that satisfies the passion and the love that generations of Lord of the Rings fans have for these stories, whilst also presenting something completely fresh and new for first-timers to Middle-earth, with one of Tolkien’s richest and most complex characters at its heart.”
While it’s true that being the first live-action Lord of the Rings movie to come out in over a decade does pose something of a challenge, the idea that this movie needs to “present something completely fresh and new for first-timers” doesn’t quite ring (pun intended) true. For one, the Lord of the Rings movies have endured well beyond their years. Even now, 25 years later, they still feel as fresh and beloved as ever, and younger generations have surely embraced them as such. Second, there is an ongoing, wildly successful Lord of the Rings series currently airing on Prime Video, which, at least partially, works to keep the brand name fresh.
So, while from an executive standpoint you understand the idea of “We need both fans and non-fans to come to this very expensive movie so it can make a lot of money,” we hope that’s less the case on set. Just make it with the same care and passion as you did 25 years ago, and the rest will take care of itself.
Then again, Warner Bros. did release a super cool Lord of the Rings anime in theaters two years ago, and no one saw it. That’s probably a factor here too. Though live-action is a whole other beast.
Serkis is currently in New Zealand getting ready to shoot the film later this year, aimed at that December 2027 release. Do you think it will be more like the original trilogy or the Hobbit trilogy? Let us know below.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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