Lord Of The Rings' Shocking New Box Office Record Puts Even More Pressure On Its Gollum Movie

The latest The Lord of the Rings movie didn't perform as well at the box office as some expected, making it incredibly important for the next one to do well. The franchise launched in 2001 with Peter Jackson's iconic The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring movie. This started off the trilogy that would change the fantasy landscape forever, bringing J.R.R. Tolkien's revered work to a far wider audience. The franchise still has a lot to give, so there is a lot resting on its next few moves.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim movie was released on December 13, 2024. The picture, directed by Japanese moviemaker Kenji Kamiyama, is the first official anime movie in The Lord of the Rings franchise, with Ralph Bakshi's 1978 animated movie preceding it in the animation department. The movie is an anime first for the franchise but may be the last, judging from its box office performance. That said, there are many ways that The War of the Rohirrim's box office performance could still develop, increasing or decreasing the pressure on the upcoming The Hunt for Gollum.

The Lord Of The Rings' New Box Office Low Is Concerning For The Franchise's Future

The War Of The Rohirrim Represents A Low Point For The Franchise

The new War of the Rohirrim picture represents a low point for Lord of the Rings, in terms of box office performance. The movie is projected to have earned $5 million within 3 days of release, which is significantly less than any of the other movies in the franchise. Fellowship of the Ring's box office debut grossed $47.2 million, which is nine times more than The War of the Rohirrim. This could constitute a concern for the franchise's future, which has movies in the pipeline that must do well in the coming years to ensure more releases in the future.

War Of The Rohirrim's Box Office Record Puts Even More Pressure On 2026's Gollum Movie

The Hunt For Gollum Will Have To Perform Well At The Box Office

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War of the Rohirrim's box office performance puts a new kind of pressure on The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum. This 2026 movie will be directed by Andy Serkis and is due for release in 2026. Unlike The War of the Rohirrim, The Hunt for Gollum movie will be live-action. It is uncertain what about The War of the Rohirrim led to its low profits at the box office, but if it was the animation element of its production, Hunt for Gollum could be in for an easier ride. This will be critical, with future movies depending on it.

Related Hunt For Gollum's Confirmed Timeline Is Way Trickier After Peter Jackson's Lord Of The Rings Change Hunt for Gollum's screenwriter has confirmed when the film is set in LOTR's timeline, but this is a problem considering a big movie change.

While The War of the Rohirrim hit a new low for Lord of the Rings in terms of its box office performance, The Hunt for Gollum will have to perform better to ensure the future of the franchise. There is a Lord of the Rings movie scheduled to come after The Hunt for Gollum, which won't necessarily have much to do with it. However, if The Lord of the Rings' Gollum movie underperforms like War of the Rohirrim, this movie may not get the same high-budget treatment that it deserves or may be threatened entirely.