The Real Reason For Making More Lord Of The Rings, Revealed By Elijah Wood
Elijah Wood says the desire for more money is at the core of plans for new Lord of the Rings movies.
Yellowjackets star Elijah Wood is cautiously optimistic about Warner Bros.’ new batch of Lord of the Rings movies. Speaking to GQ, the actor who played Frodo Baggins in the original trilogy said he’s surprised, fascinated, and excited by the idea. “I hope it’s good. I don’t know why I’m surprised because, of course, there would be more movies.”
The actor continued to explain how executives are probably in it for the money. “Obviously, at the core, is a desire to make a lot of money,” Elijah Wood told the publication. “It’s not that a bunch of executives are like, ‘Let’s make awesome art,’” the 42-year-old continued before explaining that he isn’t criticizing them for good business acumen.
“[I’m] not begrudging anybody because it is commerce,” Elijah Wood continued. “But great art can come from commerce. So those two things are not mutually exclusive.”
He also shared his hope that new Lord of the Rings stories will come from a place of creativity and respect for the source material since that’s how the original film trilogy began.
“[The first] Lord of the Rings [films] came out of a passion for these books. And I hope that that is ultimately what will drive everything forward with whatever these subsequent movies are,” Elijah Wood added. The actor concluded his comments by saying he hopes that whoever the studio hires will have reverence for Tolkien’s material and the enthusiasm to explore the story.
In February, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said the studio brokered a deal with Embracer Group to make multiple movies based on the ever-popular books by J. R. R. Tolkien. The films will be developed through New Line Cinema. Although Peter Jackson isn’t attached to direct any of the new projects, the filmmaker has been in talks with the studio.
“Warner Bros. and Embracer have kept us in the loop every step of the way,” Jackson told Variety. “We look forward to speaking with them to hear their vision for the franchise.” What concerns fans and Elijah Wood is that Zaslav previously emphasized a focus on big IPs like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter because of their earning potential.
But it’s worth noting that Warner Bros. developed a slew of successful adaptations of J. R. R. Tolkien’s beloved books. Along with the original Lord of the Rings trilogy, starring Elijah Wood, the studio also released The Hobbit films, which were box office successes. Amazon also produces The Rings of Power prequel series, which is loosely based on the author’s appendices from the original novels.
Released between 2001 and 2003, Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy broke several records with its box office earnings of over $1 billion. The films, starring Elijah Wood, also earned 17 Academy Awards. The three Hobbit films were released from 2012 to 2014, with some mixed reviews from critics. Meanwhile, The Rings of Power has been renewed for a second season on Amazon Prime Video.
Away from Lord of the Rings, Elijah Wood will be seen in an upcoming black comedy called The Toxic Avenger. Written and directed by Macon Blair, the film will be a contemporary reimagining of the 1984 movie of the same name. The project also features Peter Dinklage as the title character, alongside Kevin Bacon, Jacob Tremblay, Taylour Paige, Sarah Niles, Julia Davis, and Julian Kostov.
