The Lord of the Rings has been a cornerstone of fantasy for over 60 years, but it’s only in the past 25 years that the series has become a cinematic powerhouse. Six major films have been released since 2001, starting with The Fellowship of the Ring, all of which performed incredibly well at the box office. Two entries—The Return of the King and The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey—earned over a billion dollars globally, while the other four films grossed between $890 million and $960 million. With such success, it’s no surprise that there’s strong demand for more Middle-Earth adaptations. However, the process of expanding the franchise is complicated by the fact that the rights to Tolkien’s works are split between two different studios.
Warner Bros. holds the rights to feature films based on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, while Amazon controls the television rights. This split has led to the creation of two distinct versions of Middle-Earth. Warner Bros. is building its film universe on the foundation of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy from the early 2000s, while Amazon launched The Rings of Power on Prime Video, introducing an entirely separate continuity. This dual approach has created a kind of “war” over Tolkien’s world, with both studios striving to shape its future on screen.
The film franchise began in 2001 with Jackson’s epic adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. The trilogy became a defining series of the early 2000s, praised for its storytelling and groundbreaking visuals. A decade later, Jackson returned to adapt The Hobbit, though these films, released between 2012 and 2014, didn’t receive the same universal acclaim. Nevertheless, they proved that there was still a significant appetite for Tolkien’s world. After The Hobbit trilogy concluded, the franchise appeared to be on a hiatus.
However, in the late 2010s, Amazon secured a deal to create original television and streaming series based on Tolkien’s works, resulting in The Rings of Power. This series, released in 2022, explores Middle-Earth’s Second Age, thousands of years before the events of The Lord of the Rings. Due to Warner Bros. owning the rights to the film adaptations, The Rings of Power could not be connected to Jackson’s films, and thus had to establish its own continuity—a fresh start for the franchise on the small screen.
While reception to The Rings of Power was mixed, it garnered strong viewership, demonstrating a continued audience interest in Middle-Earth. Warner Bros. took notice and began developing new films, starting with The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim, an animated prequel set in Rohan, which opens in theaters on December 13. In addition, two live-action films are in the works, including The Hunt for Gollum, which will feature Andy Serkis reprising his iconic role and directing the movie.
Given Jackson’s iconic role in launching the modern film adaptations of The Lord of the Rings, his involvement in the ongoing competition between Amazon and Warner Bros. is a key issue. After completing The Hobbit trilogy, Jackson had expressed a desire to step away from the world of Middle-Earth. While Amazon initially reached out to him for advice on The Rings of Power, their communication ultimately stopped, and he was not involved in the show. Jackson, however, has expressed no hard feelings about the situation, stating that he would simply watch the series from afar.
On the other hand, Jackson has returned to the world of Tolkien’s creations in collaboration with Warner Bros. for their upcoming films. Although he is not involved in The War of the Rohirrim, he is credited as a producer for both The Hunt for Gollum and another live-action Lord of the Rings film, set to be announced. WB CEO David Zaslav confirmed Jackson’s involvement, along with his longtime collaborators Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, ensuring that the creative vision that shaped the original trilogy will continue to influence the new projects.
The two franchises have yet to truly clash in the marketplace. While The Rings of Power debuted in 2022, there was little immediate competition, as it followed several years after The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies and had no film counterpart. However, the acid test is now active with The Rings of Power Season 2 having debuted in late summer, just months before the release of The War of the Rohirrim today. This will be the first time both competing adaptations will share the same space, and it could have major implications for their respective success.
Producing two competing Lord of the Rings franchises could either boost interest in both or lead to audience fatigue. If both projects are well-received, they could elevate each other, generating goodwill for the franchise as a whole. The Rings of Power made no effort to distinguish itself from Jackson’s films in its tone and visuals, so viewers may not even realize they’re watching a different version of Middle-Earth. Will The Rings of Power lead to increased excitement for The War of the Rohirrim?
On the other hand, the oversaturation of Tolkien’s world might lead to negative effects. Audiences could become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of content, as seen with other franchises like Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where the constant stream of new material has led to diminishing returns. If both Amazon and Warner Bros. flood the market with too many Lord of the Rings projects, it could result in a loss of interest from general viewers.
Ultimately, both Amazon and Warner Bros. must carefully balance their expansions of Tolkien’s world. Too much too soon could hurt the franchise in the long run, while strategic, quality-driven releases could ensure Middle-Earth continues to captivate audiences for years to come.
