Unity buys effects studio for "The Lord of the Rings" 1:32
(CNN) --
The "Lord of the Rings" trilogy is one of the most beloved film series of all time, but the truth is that Peter Jackson only scratched the surface of the rich world of Middle-earth created by JRR. Tolkien in those deliveries.
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav announced at a news conference Thursday that "multiple" new movies set in Middle-earth are in the works, after studio bosses Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy signed an agreement with Freemode, a division of the Swedish entertainment company Embracer Group which acquired the film rights to Tolkien's work in August last year.
(Warner Bros. Discovery is the parent company of CNN.)
Elijah Wood and the original cast of "The Lord of the Rings" silence the racist critics of "The Rings of Might"
Warner Bros. will produce the films in conjunction with sister company New Line Cinema and Freemode, "expanding on the world and beloved characters of Middle-earth," says a statement issued by Embracer.
Elijah Wood played Frodo Bolson in the "Lord of the Rings" film trilogy.
(New Line Cinema/Everett Collection)
New Line and Warner Bros. Animation are currently producing the anime film "The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim," a story set 183 years before the events of "The Lord of the Rings" that chronicles the fate of of Helm Hammerhand, King of Rohan.
Neither the cost of the deal nor who the creative team will be have been disclosed so far, although Jackson and his collaborators Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens told CNN in a statement that Warner Bros. and Embracer have kept them "in the loop" and that they "are looking forward to continuing to speak with them to hear their vision for the franchise going forward."
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Jackson's original trilogy, released between 2001 and 2003, received wide acclaim.
It garnered 17 Academy Awards and generated a box office of nearly $3 billion.
Since then there have been other adaptations of Tolkien's books for the small and big screen.
Jackson's "The Hobbit" film trilogy also brought in nearly $3 billion worldwide, while Amazon, which owns the "Lord of the Rings" television rights, premiered its first season of "The Rings of Power." in 2022.
"Twenty years ago, New Line took an unprecedented leap of faith to bring the incredible stories, characters and world of 'The Lord of the Rings' to life on the big screen," De Luca and Abdy said in a statement.
"But for all the scope and detail that has gone into the two trilogies, the vast, complex and dazzling universe dreamed up by JRR Tolkien remains largely unexplored in cinema. The opportunity to invite fans into the cinematic world of Middle-earth is an honor," they added.
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