The Next Lord Of The Rings Movie's Most Concerning Strategy May Be Necessary After War Of The Rohirrim (2025)

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is utilizing a worrisome strategy to attract fans of Peter Jackson's trilogy, but it might be necessary after the lackluster performance of The War of the Rohirrim. Warner Bros. is proving its commitment to expanding its Lord of the Rings franchise, with War of the Rohirrim bringing J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth back to the big screen for the first time since The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies debuted in 2014. The studio's next journey to Middle-earth is already planned, with The Hunt for Gollum aiming to hit theaters in 2026.

The Hunt for Gollum will be the first live-action Lord of the Rings movie in more than a decade, and it will be more closely connected to Jackson's films than War of the Rohirrim. While the animated project sees Miranda Otto returning as Éowyn to narrate the story, the movie's plot is focused on an earlier conflict between the Hammerhands and the Dunlendings. By contrast, the next LOTR film will return to the timeline of The Fellowship of the Ring. The upcoming project is making great efforts to capitalize on the success of the original trilogy, which may be necessary now.

The Hunt For Gollum's Nostalgia Play Might Be Necessary After War Of The Rohirrim's Failure

Associations With The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy Will Get People To Theaters

The Hunt for Gollum is pulling out all the stops to transport viewers back to the time period of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, with Warner Bros. even pursuing actors like Sir Ian McKellen and Viggo Mortensen to reprise their iconic roles. While Andy Serkis is the only Lord of the Rings cast member currently confirmed to return, it's clear The Hunt for Gollum is hoping to capitalize on nostalgia to win audiences over. Serkis in the director's seat and Jackson's producer role further drive this reality home, making it clear that this film is an extension of Jackson's trilogy.

Although it'd be nice to see more original stories set in Tolkien's world, the nostalgia angle might be necessary to revive the studio's The Lord of the Rings IP.

And The Hunt for Gollum does raise concerns about whether this story is necessary to tell — or if it's milking the popularity of prior movies for all it's worth — but Warner Bros. might be onto something with this approach. Although it'd be nice to see more original stories set in Tolkien's world, the nostalgia angle might be necessary to revitalize the studio's Lord of the Rings IP. After all, The War of the Rohirrim's response doesn't bode well for the future.

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10 Reasons The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim's Reviews Are So Mixed

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim is receiving mixed reviews, with critics divided over its pacing, characters, animation, and story.

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With its disappointing 45% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, The War of the Rohirrim proved a critical failure — and it didn't fare much better at the box office. The new LOTR movie hit record lows for Jackson's movie franchise, only making $19 million worldwide (via Box Office Mojo). While the animated format could be blamed for some of the film's performance woes, the reception of Amazon's Rings of Power paints a bleaker picture. It's possible The Hunt for Gollum will need to capitalize on viewers' nostalgia for Jackson's movies, as more original takes don't seem to be landing.

The Lord Of The Rings Franchise Can't Depend On Nostalgia After The Next Movie

Warner Bros. Needs To Move Past The LOTR & Hobbit Movies Eventually

The Next Lord Of The Rings Movie's Most Concerning Strategy May Be Necessary After War Of The Rohirrim (2)

If The Hunt for Gollum manages to get the Lord of the Rings cast back for another movie, it might generate enough excitement to turn the franchise's performance around after The War of the Rohirrim. It could also prove how effective nostalgia is at winning audiences over, though it's hard to say how Warner Bros. would proceed from there. Even if The Hunt for Gollum fares better than 2024's Lord of the Rings movie, the franchise can't utilize this same strategy forever.

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2024’s New Lord Of The Rings Movie Changes How You’ll Watch The Two Towers From Now On

The Lord of the Rings: War of the Rohirrim changes how we watch The Two Towers, embellishing the movie with a fresh perspective on Rohan.

There are only so many stories that can be told using Jackson's prior movies as the framework — and even The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum requires some tweaking of Fellowship's condensed timeline to make sense. If Warner Bros. is serious about expanding its IP, it will need to move beyond The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies and into uncharted territories eventually. Hopefully, The War of the Rohirrim isn't representative of how that will go.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes, Box Office Mojo

The Next Lord Of The Rings Movie's Most Concerning Strategy May Be Necessary After War Of The Rohirrim (4)

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The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is an upcoming fantasy adventure film that delves into the story of Gollum's obsession with the One Ring. The film takes place during the events of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, exploring Gollum's tumultuous past and his relentless pursuit of the Ring. Set in Middle-earth, the story navigates the treacherous landscapes and dark forces that threaten the fate of the Ring.

Main Genre
Fantasy
Franchise(s)
The Lord of the Rings
Cast
Andy Serkis
Director
Andy Serkis

Writers
Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Phoebe Gittins, Art Papageorgiou

Studio(s)
Warner Bros. Pictures
The Next Lord Of The Rings Movie's Most Concerning Strategy May Be Necessary After War Of The Rohirrim (2025)

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