Elijah Wood is surprised they're making more Lord of the Rings movies

gamesradar.com:

Elijah Wood isn't so sure about the new Lord of the Rings movies on the way. Earlier this year, Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed they had "multiple" films based on J.R.R. Tolkien's original books in the works.

They're still in a very early stage with no filmmakers attached yet, but Wood, who played Frodo Baggins in Peter Jackson's Oscar-winning original movies, was already quizzed on his thoughts. "I'm fascinated and I'm excited," he told GQ (opens in new tab). "I hope it's good. 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. 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."

Wood added that he did feel the original Lord of the Rings movies "didn't come out of that place," however. "It came out of a passion for these books and wanting to see them realized," he added. "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."

As well as new movies set in the Lord of the Rings universe, Amazon's prequel series is ongoing. The Rings of Power season 2 is currently in production with new cast members announced, a major character recast, and potential plot details uncovered. 

Check out our guides to new TV shows and upcoming movies for what else to add to your watchlist in 2023.