We recently found out that Warner Bros., together with New Line Cinema, has decided to produce a bunch of new The Lord of the Rings films. A decision that surprised and angered fans of the classic masterpieces Peter Jackson directed in the early 2000s, and they are not alone. Even Elijah Wood, who played Frodo in Jackson's trilogy, is surprised by the decision and in an interview with GQ magazine, the actor shared his thoughts on the matter.
I'm fascinated and I'm excited. I hope it's good. I'm surprised—I don't know why I'm surprised because, of course there would be more movies. Obviously at the core of that, is a desire to make a lot of money. It's not that a bunch of executives are like, "Let's make really awesome art."
"And, again, not begrudging anybody because, of course, it is commerce. But great art can come from commerce. So those two things are not mutually exclusive."
Wood also went on to talk about how the original trilogy was born out of passion rather than a desire to make the big bucks (although ultimately the studio did too).
"Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy didn't come out of that place. It came out of a passion for these books and wanting to see them realized. And I hope that that is ultimately what will drive everything forward with whatever these subsequent movies are."
"I just hope that it's the same motivating factor at its core, whenever they hire a screenwriter and a filmmaker—that it is with reverence for Tolkien's material and enthusiasm to explore it. I just hope that it's the same motivating factor at its core, whenever they hire a screenwriter and a filmmaker—that it is with reverence for Tolkien's material and enthusiasm to explore it."
At this point, very little information is known about the new The Lord of the Rings films, but according to Jackson, the studio is in contact with him and the screenwriters he worked with, so that's at least somewhat reassuring.
What do you think about them making new The Lord of the Rings films?