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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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Spain Public Broadcaster Calls for ‘Debate’ over Israel’s Eurovision Participation

Yuval Raphael. (AP)
Yuval Raphael. (AP)
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Spain Public Broadcaster Calls for ‘Debate’ over Israel’s Eurovision Participation

Yuval Raphael. (AP)
Yuval Raphael. (AP)

Spain's public broadcaster said on Friday it has called for a "debate" over Israel's participation in this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Switzerland due to "concerns" over the situation in war-torn Gaza.

RTVE has sent a letter to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which manages the event, "requesting a debate on the participation of Israeli public television (KAN)" in the contest, the Spanish public broadcaster said in a statement.

The Swiss city of Basel will host the glitzy annual extravaganza -- one of the world's biggest live television events which involves countries from Europe to Australia -- at the St. Jakobshalle indoor arena, with the semi-finals on May 13 and 15, and the final on May 17.

Public broadcasters of participating nations select the candidate which will represent them, so the absence of KAN would mean there is no Israeli performer at this year's event.

RTVE said it "reiterates its support" for Eurovision "but also acknowledges the concerns that the situation in Gaza and the participation of KAN public television are raising within Spanish civil society".

"It would be appropriate for the EBU to recognize the existence of this debate and provide a forum for discussion between EBU member broadcasters on the participation of Israeli public television," the statement added.

- October 7 survivor -

Thousands protested at last year's contest in the Swedish city of Malmo against Israel's participation against the backdrop of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Israeli competitor Eden Golan had to change her lyrics over their apparent references to the deadly Hamas attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the war.

A survivor of that attack will represent Israel in Basel.

When Hamas gunmen killed more than 370 people at the Nova music festival, Yuval Raphael survived by hiding under a pile of bodies. She said she would be ready to face the kind of hostility Golan did.

Finland's public broadcaster Yle received two petitions last month demanding it push for Israel to be banned from the contest due to the war in Gaza.

One was signed by more than 500 music and culture industry professionals, while a public petition was signed by over 10,000 people.

Israel has won the contest four times, most recently in Lisbon in 2018.

On October 7, 2023, Palestinian gunmen launched a cross-border attack in Israel that resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the capture of 251 hostages, according to Israeli figures.

Israel's ensuing bombardment and ground offensive in Gaza has killed nearly 51,000 people in the territory, according to the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. The UN has deemed its figures generally reliable.