Summary

• The Lord of the Rings franchise is expanding with new TV shows and movies set in Middle-earth.
• The Rings of Power season 2 and The War of the Rohirrim are among the upcoming projects.
• The Hunt for Gollum will be directed by Andy Serkis and is part of a new wave of cinematic Middle-earth content.

The future of The Lord of the Rings looks bright, with several upcoming TV shows and movies set in Middle-earth currently in production. Since the original The Lord of the Rings trilogy began in 2001, the franchise's movie & TV portfolio has expanded via prequels and spinoffs. The enduring legacy of Peter Jackson's movies means rights holders are eager to produce more content derived from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings books, and audiences are just as eager to consume it.

As of 2024, the only official Middle-earth movies and TV shows have been the animated Lord of the Rings adaptations released in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Jackson's subsequent The Hobbit trilogy, and Amazon's The Rings of Power. The lack of further material is partially because the rights to adapt Tolkien's work are split between various parties, but Warner Bros. and Amazon both currently have Middle-earth projects brewing in their respective pipelines, from prequel The Lord of the Rings movies to big-budget TV spinoffs.

4 The Rings Of Power Season 2

Release Date: August 29, 2024

The next confirmed project in The Lord of the Rings' future is the continuation of Amazon's The Rings of Power. The Rings of Power season 2 will pick up where the last season left off, chronicling the War of the Elves and Sauron in the Second Age of Middle-earth. While it is unclear exactly what the story will be, The Rings of Power season 2's cast will continue exploring the iconic Lord of the Rings characters featured in the show, including Galadriel and Elrond. This sophomore run will inevitably place more focus on how the titular Rings of Power are crafted after Sauron’s return in season 1.

Filming for The Rings of Power season 2 took place between October 2022 and June 2023, wrapping up before the strikes of the WGA and SAG-AFTRA paused production. As such, a release date of August 29, 2024, has been confirmed by Amazon Prime Video for The Rings of Power season 2. Trailer footage highlights Sauron's "fair" form, Barad-Dûr, Sam Hazeldine as the recast Adar, and trouble in Moria.

3 The Lord Of The Rings: The War Of The Rohirrim

Release Date: December 13, 2024

Of all the projects currently in production, the next Middle-earth movie will be The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. Confirmed in 2021 by director Kenji Kamiyama, the animated The War of the Rohirrim is written by Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou from a story by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews. Phillipa Boyens, co-writer of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, served as a story consultant, with The War of the Rohirrim acting as a spiritual prequel to Peter Jackson's original trilogy.

Kenji Kamiyama is best known for Eden of the East and Blade Runner: Black Lotus.

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim will be set 183 years before The Two Towers. The middle chapter in Jackson's trilogy was the first to introduce the Rohirrim, also known as the horse lords of Rohan, and the upcoming film's story will center on Helm Hammerhand, the legendary king of Rohan who looks to defend his country against an army of Dunlendings. Succession's Brian Cox will voice Hammerhand himself, while other cast members include the returning Miranda Otto as Eowyn, Gaia Wise as Helm's daughter, Hera, and Luke Pasqualino as Wulf, leader of the villainous Dunlendings.

2 The Lord Of The Rings: The Hunt For Gollum

Release Date: 2026