Posted on 05/17/2026 1:49:27 PM PDT by nickcarraway
The posthumously released book had been previously unavailable to adapt
Peter Jackson has revealed that he is in talks to adapt further works by The Lord Of The Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien, including The Silmarillion.
The Oscar-winner directed the original Lord Of The Rings trilogy between 2001-03, as well as splitting The Hobbit into three movies from 2012-14. These remain the only films to have been directly adapted from Tolkien’s books, with films such as The War of the Rohirrim and TV show Rings Of Power taken from information within the appendices within the books.
However, in a discussion with Deadline, Jackson revealed that he and studio Warner Bros were in discussion with Tolkien’s estate to adapt previously unavailable works, most notably The Silmarillion, a collection of myths and stories posthumously released in 1977, edited by his son, Christopher.
The filmmaker noted that a change in personnel on the board of Tolkien’s estate may lead to them acquiring the rights.
“Christopher Tolkien edited and published other (J.R.R. Tolkien) books – The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales – I mean there’s a lot more Tolkien writing that would actually make great movies that were subsequently edited and released by Christopher,” he explained. “But he just absolutely not… those rights have never been available.”
“But Christopher passed away recently, well, I suppose two or three years ago now, and the younger Tolkiens, this next generation, are now running the estate. They’re much more open to talking, so a combination of Warners and us have been talking to some of the younger Tolkien members who are now part of the board, about the possibility of actually licensing the rights to some of the other books. It would be nice to get away from the appendices and get something a bit more meaty.”
Two further films based around Tolkien’s works are in production: a prequel to The Lord Of The Rings, titled The Hunt For Gollum, which will be directed by Andy Serkis. There will also be the sequel The Shadow Of The Past, based on a chapter of The Lord Of The Rings book, which will be adapted by Stephen Colbert.
Recently, Peter Jackson shared an anecdote about a time a delivery driver told him The Hobbit movies were “crap”.
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Lord, please no more. The Lord of the Rings movies were great, the Hobbit trilogy was terrible, and I don’ expect anything more from the franchise will be worth the time and money these days.
The Silmarillion would be super high fantasy and nearly impossible IMHO to film
Just when you thought that “Rings Of Power” was the ultimate degradation...
Should be good for about a hundred 6 hour trilogies.
Ever try to read that book? Ugh
I read it in 4th or 5th grade.
No more politically inclusive movies for a northern European story, I don’t want these rewrites that ruin films.
All I know is the band Marillion got their name from it.
I read it one and a half times. During the second attempt to find some satisfaction in it I finally just said "oh, what's the point?"
The trick will be turning a collection of myths only deep Tolkien fans really care about into a series of films that a world-wide audience could enjoy.
The Hobbit already had a world-wide audience and good will before Jackson, in my opinion, rendered it into a nearly unwatchable series of action movies I call The Hobbinator.
I suppose it’s possible. As The Silmarillion stories have very little in the way of dialogue, Jackson could ascribe any words and actions he wanted to the characters so long as the major touchstones in each story are visited.
Why?
I wonder hold Victoria, the writer of this report is.
Orson Beane voiced Bilbo Baggins to John Huston’s Gandalf in Ralp Bakshi’s 1977 animated adaptation of THE HOBBIT.
Bakshi returned the next year with THE LORD OF THE RINGS.
Ralph Bakshi did the animated version of The Hobbit with Beane and Huston? I thought Rankin-Bass did that one.
Guaranteed garbage; Serkis lately cemented his name as a wokist destroyer with Animal Farm and Colbert needs no comment by me.
Poor POC Morgoth oppressed by meanie Eru just cause he wanted to sing his own song and hounded by Very White elves. /barf
The Silmarillion is almost more of a history textbook than a novel. How would you adopt a book THAT sweeping into a movie, or even a series?
}:-)4
Impossible before AI came along. The Beetles approached Stanley Kubrick about doing Lord Of the Rings. Kubrick turned them down because he knew it could not be filmed at the time. Much of Jackson's movies had computer generated imagery. The ability of computers to make movies has obviously become even better since then.
I tried.
Couldn’t do it.
I actually found the book on the street. Gave It away...........
It’s more of a boo of mythology, which Tolkien was intimately familiar with.
You have it a little confused. The Hobbit movie you are referencing was not made by Ralph Bakshi, it was made by Rankin/Bass.
Bakshi made a Lord of the Rings animated movie the that covered roughly the first half of the trilogy. But he never made the second movie, but Ranking/Bass made a Return of the Kings animated movie.
So, even though they were not cooperating, and, in fact, were in competition, they effectively made the trilogy into to parts.
Bakshi expressed contempt for the Rankin/Bass movies.
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