"Let's Have More Tolkien": Lord Of The Rings Movie Writer Is Right About Tolkien's Adaptation Potential

The Lord of the Rings franchise is starting to look very lively, and one screenwriter commented on this wisely and succinctly. Amazon Prime Video released The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1 in 2022, and it should run for five seasons. This show covers The Lord of the Rings' Second Age, which is described in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. runs the movie franchise, which continues in December 2024 with The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. This popular franchise could get too busy, but Philippa Boyens addressed this.

It is a good time to be a Lord of the Rings fan, but certain issues could arise with so many adaptations emerging at the same time. Warner Bros. plans to release The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum movie in 2026, which will add to the mix of new LotR content even further. But Philippa Boyens, screenwriter at Warner Bros. for the LotR movies, commented, "I think being able to expand upon [Middle-earth] is only a good thing." Boyens commented on how fans assume a rivalry between the movies and the show, discrediting the presumption.

Philippa Boyens Is Right About The Lord Of The Rings' Storytelling Possibilities

There Is Scope For Multiple Lord Of The Rings Adaptations

Referring to the rivalry that some imagine exists between the movies and the TV show, Boyens commented, "There is absolutely not, and I don't believe there is from their part either." Boyens instantly scrapped the idea that the show creates any problems for the movies, or that the movies create any problems for the show. Boyens is right. The movies tackle the Third Age while the show tackles Lord of the Rings' Second Age, so their stories aren't competing. But moreover, the show and movies "should complement each other." As Boyens stated, "Let's have more Tolkien."

There's Only 1 Real Risk To Expanding J.R.R. Tolkien's World In Adaptations

Adaptations Should Remain Faithful To The Books In Spirit

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Philippa Boyens makes a very good point about Tolkien adaptations, but one cautionary aside could be added. The Lord of the Rings movies and TV show both share rights to the same content - The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. While Warner Bros. has rights to make movies, Amazon has rights to make a multi-season TV show. This means that the majority of the content that anyone with the power to make or release adaptations has the rights to has already been adapted. Future outings must remain faithful to the books in spirit, avoiding cash grabs.

Related A More Faithful Rings Of Power Season 3 Must Zoom In On One Key Tolkien Theme The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power can make one key change to be more faithful to J.R.R. Tolkien's books, but what that is may be surprising.

It doesn't matter if Rings of Power isn't totally faithful to the books in detail if it is faithful to their key themes, and this goes for all adaptations. But remaining true to the key themes could still be difficult if Warner Bros. or Amazon continue to plunder The Hobbit and LotR for source material. Releases will feel hollow if they are money-grabbing and disrespectful, which will be subjective but noticeable overall. Honoring the source material will be key, in whatever creative way it occurs, in all future The Lord of the Rings movies or TV shows.