The actor seemed cautiously optimistic about the new projects.
The Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood, who played Frodo Baggins in the original film series, said he was surprised when he heard that the films were being remade.
“I’m fascinated and I’m excited. I hope it’s good,” Wood told GQ magazine about the new films.
“I’m surprised—I don’t know why I’m surprised because, of course there would be more movies.”
“Obviously at the core of that, is a desire to make a lot of money,” Wood continued. “It’s not that a bunch of executives are like, ‘Let’s make really awesome art.’ And, again, not begrudging anybody because, of course, it is commerce. But great art can come from commerce. So those two things are not mutually exclusive.”
What does Elijah Wood think of the impending Lord of the Rings remakes? “I'm fascinated and I'm excited. I hope it's good. I'm surprised—I don't know why I'm surprised because, of course there would be more movies.” https://t.co/JNZra6QUnr pic.twitter.com/lqb5woFVQ1
— GQ Magazine (@GQMagazine) April 14, 2023
Elijah Wood speaks about the Lord of the Rings remake announcement.
Wood was just 20 when The Fellowship of the Ring came out in 2001. The fantasy trilogy, which ended in 2003, went on to become one of the biggest in cinematic history, grossing over $2.9 billion worldwide.
Speaking about the trilogy, Wood said that it wasn’t money that drove it into existence, but rather a passion to bring J.R.R. Tolkien’s works to life.
“It came out of a passion for these books and wanting to see them realized,” Wood said. “And I hope that that is ultimately what will drive everything forward with whatever these subsequent movies are.
“I just hope that it’s the same motivating factor at its core, whenever they hire a screenwriter and a filmmaker—that it is with reverence for Tolkien’s material and enthusiasm to explore it.”
In February, Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav announced that they have brokered a deal to make multiple new movies based on the books of Tolkien.
There is also an animated feature-length movie – The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim – on the way in April 2024.
Set 260 years before the events of The Two Towers, the film will detail the previous battle that took place at Helm’s Deep.
The movie will include voice performances from Succession’s Brian Cox and Miranda Otto, who played Éowyn in the original films.
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