Looks Like Another Lord Of The Rings Movie Could Be Made. Will The Shadow Of Mordor Game Be The Focus Of Its Plot?

When the Lord of the Rings movies first debuted in theaters, no one ever expected them to become as popular as they are today. The sequels and recent Hobbit trilogy are proof of how fans just can't get enough. Otherwise, why would Warner Bros. and Peter Jackson invest so much time and money into the franchise? The studio understands how profitable the Lord of the Rings franchise is, and is most likely the reason behind their legal disputes over the property.

Warner Brothers And Tolkien Estate Settle Their Legal Dispute Over Lord Of The Rings And The Hobbit

If you haven't been keeping up, Warner Brothers and the Tolkien estate were in a long fought legal battle over the rights to #LordOfTheRings and the rest of Tolkien's stories. Warner Bros. was being accused of using Tolkien's proprietary characters in other mediums the studio didn't receive approval for. The dispute went back and forth between both parties for some time, but they've fortunately come to an agreement. Details surrounding the dispute have yet to be revealed but a spokesperson for Warner Bros. made an interesting statement on behalf of the studio. Here's what they had to say:

"The parties are pleased that they have amicably resolved this matter and look forward to working together in the future.”

While the Tolkien estate didn't provide a response, this development appears to bode well for another LOTR movie. Since the dispute appears to be cleared up, Warner Bros. and the Tolkien estate can now collaborate on a new project together. A movie seems like the most plausible after The Hobbit trilogy revived fan interest in the property.

In regards to which of Tolkien's stories would be adapted next is anyone's guess, but it seems logical for one of the books within the central Lord of the Rings mythology to be the focus of a new film. However, there is a possibility Warner Bros. will use a story that isn't necessarily based in Tolkien's books.

The plot would need to be connected to Lord of the Rings in some manner, but it doesn't have to be based on one of Tolkien's books. There are several other Tolkien-esque stories that could stand as the basis for a new movie, the most pertinent being a plot from a LOTR based video game.

There are several Lord of the Rings video games currently making the round but the best is probably 2013's Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor. The reason why this video game stands to make for a better movie than another book is because of its unique cinematic sequences, and how they present the perfect story to base a new movie on. Plus, Shadow of Mordor's plot is a unique story-line conceived at Warner Bros, which the studio might prefer to use, rather than another Tolkien book since they can directly attribute the plot to a component conceived by the studio.

As for the setting, Shadow of Mordor's story takes place during the 60 year gap between the events of The Hobbit and the LOTR trilogy. Its story centers around Talion, a ranger who was executed by the Black Hand of Sauron, a wizard of sorts. Talion's family was also executed alongside of him, in a ritual to summon the wraith of dead Elf King, Celembrimbor. Unfortunately, the ritual resulted in Talion being merged with Celembrimbor instead of the Black Hand of Sauron.

After the first cinematic sequence ends, the game then takes the player through an adventure in Mordor where Talion, along with Celembrimbor, rediscover their identities, and right the wrongs done to them. While at the same time, fighting off hordes of Orcs in a play to take command over the warring clans. #ShadowOfMordor concludes on a somewhat open-ending, which we'll see continued this year in the #ShadowOfWar video game.

Why Shadow Of Mordor Is The Perfect Story To Be Adapted Into A Cinematic Feature

Moreover, the narrative told in Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War presents the perfect story to base a new Lord of the Rings movie on. It takes place around the same time as LOTR and The Hobbit, with one central character worth centering a movie around. The past two trilogies took the time to develop a variety of characters, but a story centered around one individual like Talion could be a new direction to take the franchise. Of course, multiple supporting characters would be featured as well, seeing as how Talion / Celembrimbor weren't the only central characters in Shadow of Mordor. Nevertheless, a story revolving around Talion seems like the next best move for Warner Brothers.

Regardless of our suggestions, until Warner Brothers decides they want to move forward with another LOTR movie, we can only speculate on the potential plot. Although, it seems like the studio intends to work on another Tolkien based film quite soon, if the statements made earlier are any indication of their plans.