Championship teams are nothing without their superstar. What were the Chicago Bulls without Michael Jordan? The New England Patriots without Tom Brady? The Los Angeles Kings without Wayne Gretzky? And why are you reading a bunch of sports comparisons on a site about science fiction?
Well, because when it comes to Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson is Jordan, Brady, and Gretzky rolled into one. He’s the superstar. The co-writer and director who took a gamble — filming three massive fantasy films simultaneously — and made it into a worldwide phenomenon that delighted audiences and critics alike. Then, he tried it again with prequel The Hobbit, and while those films didn’t reach the heights of the first three, there’s no one else you would’ve wanted to see at the helm.
Earlier this year, Warner Bros. announced that it was going to be making more Lord of the Rings movies. And not just the animated one out next year. Actual live-action films. What stories would those be telling? Would any actors come back? How, if at all, would that conflict with the Prime Video show? None of those questions have answers.
A question that does have an answer is who the studio is hoping will be a part of it. Variety has a new profile of Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, the co-CEOs and chairpeople of film at Warner Bros. In other words, they’re the people who decide which movies get made. And in the profile, it’s revealed the pair travelled to New Zealand to meet with Jackson “to re-establish the studio’s connection to the franchise’s original director.”
Jackson is on record saying the studio “kept us in the loop every step of the way,” but this seems like the next step in that. Would he come back to direct? Produce? Write? Is he just consulting as an authority on all things Tolkien? Again, we don’t know. But you do know that if Jackson wanted to do any of those things, Warner Bros. would certainly jump at the chance.
Read more about the future of Warner Bros. in the extensive profile on Variety. And, below, tell us if you’d even want Jackson to devote more of his career to Middle-earth.
Want more Gizmodo 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.
Editor’s Note: Release dates within this article are based in the U.S., but will be updated with local Australian dates as soon as we know more.