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New 'Lord of the Rings' Films Announced by Warner Bros

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez in London on August 30, 2022. Niklas HALLE'N AFP
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez in London on August 30, 2022. Niklas HALLE'N AFP
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New 'Lord of the Rings' Films Announced by Warner Bros

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez in London on August 30, 2022. Niklas HALLE'N AFP
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez in London on August 30, 2022. Niklas HALLE'N AFP

Multiple new "Lord of the Rings" films are on the way from Warner Bros, the Hollywood studio behind Peter Jackson's blockbuster Oscar-winning trilogy said Thursday.

David Zaslav, CEO of parent group Warner Bros. Discovery, told an earnings calls that recently appointed studio chiefs Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy had struck an agreement to make more movies based on JRR Tolkien's epic fantasy books.

"Today, I'm thrilled to announce that Mike and Pam signed a deal to make multiple Lord of the Rings movies," he said.

"'Lord of the Rings' is one of the most iconic storytelling franchises of all time, and we're so excited. Stay tuned for more to come on this front."

Zaslav did not provide further details, but Jackson said in a statement to AFP that he and his collaborators have been kept "in the loop every step of the way."

"We look forward to speaking with them further to hear their vision for the franchise moving forward," Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens said.

No details were provided on which storylines or timelines from Tolkien's sprawling books would provide the source material for the new films.

They will be developed by Warner subsidiary New Line Cinema, which made Jackson's original trilogy.

Rival studio Amazon last September released the first season of its own television adaptation, "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power."

That series -- a prequel to the "Lord of the Rings" books -- is planned to run for five seasons, with a reported total cost of more than $1 billion.

The first season provided the Prime Video streaming platform its biggest premiere, with 25 million viewers on its first day, but received a lukewarm response from critics.

Jackson's original three "Lord of the Rings" movies grossed nearly $3 billion at theaters, and won 17 Oscars, including best picture for 2003 trilogy finale "The Return of the King."

They starred Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen and Cate Blanchett.

A subsequent trilogy based on Tolkien's "The Hobbit" was also a massive box office hit, despite a poor critical response.

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Entertainment

Jennifer Lopez Identifies with Real-Life Mom in ‘Unstoppable’ Film

Cast member Jennifer Lopez attends a photo call for the film "Unstoppable" during AFI Fest, in Los Angeles, California, US, October 26, 2024. (Reuters)
Cast member Jennifer Lopez attends a photo call for the film "Unstoppable" during AFI Fest, in Los Angeles, California, US, October 26, 2024. (Reuters)
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Jennifer Lopez Identifies with Real-Life Mom in ‘Unstoppable’ Film

Cast member Jennifer Lopez attends a photo call for the film "Unstoppable" during AFI Fest, in Los Angeles, California, US, October 26, 2024. (Reuters)
Cast member Jennifer Lopez attends a photo call for the film "Unstoppable" during AFI Fest, in Los Angeles, California, US, October 26, 2024. (Reuters)

Jennifer Lopez found herself in tears as the real-life mom Judy Robles, whom she portrayed in the sports drama film "Unstoppable", showered her with compliments for her performance.

The two real-life mothers formed a special bond while working in tandem to take Lopez's role to the next level and connected on how mothers inevitably make mistakes.

"I don't know of a human being who doesn't make mistakes," Lopez said.

"But for moms, it really is a thing where you're always putting up the front of, like, 'everything's perfect,' 'everything's OK,' to protect your children, to give them safety," she added.

For Lopez, women, especially moms, have so much going on behind the scenes, which is a belief that helped her performance.

"Unstoppable," distributed by Amazon MGM Studios, had a limited theatrical US release on Dec. 6 and will be available for streaming on Prime Video on Jan. 16.

The American biographical sports drama film, directed by William Goldenberg, follows wrestler Anthony Robles, who was born with one leg, and joins the Arizona State University wrestling team as a walk-on, eventually earning a spot on the team and making a name for himself.

His mother must find ways to not only advocate for her son, but also for herself.

Goldenberg aimed to add authenticity to the film by having the real-life Robles serve as the body double of the "Moonlight" actor Jharrel Jerome, who portrays Anthony.

Jerome said he became a changed man after working so closely with Anthony Robles.

"You hear actors say it all the time, I learned something, I learned something, but this truly shaped me and changed me as a growing person, as a growing man, all the way down to my physicality, how I move, my posture, my gym routine," Jerome said.

He and his mother being so close to the production made things feel especially nostalgic for Anthony Robles.

"I feel like I go through the roller coaster of emotions all over again and I'm just traveling back in time, just watching the film and especially when I'm sitting next to my mom, because there are certain moments where she's gripping my arm in the audience," Anthony Robles said.

"It's painful for us to relive those moments. But also, there's other moments she's grabbed my arm again, just happy moments. And so that's something special for us," Robles added.