Key Takeaways
- The Hobbit Trilogy suffered due to unnecessary length and padding.
- Future Lord of the Rings projects should consider shorter runtimes.
- Quicker adventure movies can be just as impactful as longer ones.
Warner Bros. is actively attempting to expand and grow The Lord of the Rings franchise to the excitement of those who love the world of Middle Earth. The War of the Rohirrim and The Hunt for Gollum are both being worked on currently, and there is plenty of excitement about what those movies could provide.
However, the last installment in The Lord of the Rings world took place with The Hobbit prequel trilogy. These popular movies performed well but didn’t quite reach the standard of Peter Jackson’s original trilogy. Still, some key mistakes and lessons from those films should be taken into future projects.
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The Hobbit Trilogies Biggest Issue Was Too Much Time
With The Lord of the Rings trilogy, it made sense for each film to have an exceptionally long runtime because each of the books is detailed and packed with information. There was so much that Jackson left out of those films that it was clear they couldn’t have been much shorter, or he wouldn’t have done justice to the story and the individual characters.
That problem didn’t exist when it came to The Hobbit because that is only one book, and even that is far shorter than any of The Lord of the Rings stories. People were shocked when it was revealed that it would be stretched into a trilogy as there wasn’t enough story to justify that many hours’ worth of movie. It became clear that many scenes felt like they were being padded out, or scenes and plots were simply added to create enough time to justify three films.
Even though they performed well at the box office, The Hobbit trilogy isn’t spoken about in the same light as The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and that’s a shame because the story itself is just as good. However, it’s a case of less is more, as the book being split into just two movies could have created something extraordinary for both of them, and that’s a genuine lesson to be learned for future projects.
Future Lord Of The Rings Projects Can Be Shorter
Not every single Lord of the Rings-related movie needs to last around three hours or be stretched into multiple different projects. Audiences want more films from this franchise because the world is so vast, the characters are excellent, and when done right, they can create the perfect fantasy movies. However, dragging them out just because that’s what is expected doesn’t mean it’s always going to be positive.
Less is more at times in the movie world, as it means that every scene needs to have a meaning, and there shouldn’t be any fluff put in for the sake of it. Projects such as The Hunt for Gollum are based on a specific timeline within the story that has already been created, and that should lead to a precise movie that introduces the characters, hits the points, and then moves on without overstaying its welcome. People don’t need every aspect being dragged out in painstaking detail, especially for casual fans who aren’t as invested in all the lore that comes with this franchise.
Quicker Adventures Are Just As Fun
The world created by J.R.R. Tolkien’s novels is detailed and packed with lore, which is why all of the movies have been lengthy so far. At times, this is a positive situation, as it has led to some amazing scenes and characters that have become etched into the memories of audiences throughout the years. However, a quick adventure movie can be just as impactful, as it can grip audiences and have them hooked throughout.
Moving forward, it appears that Warner Bros. is going to be creating more singular Lord of the Rings-related movies that aren’t going to be part of trilogies and that in itself should lean them towards being shorter. These stories don’t have to be so short that there’s no detail at all, but they also don’t have to push three hours because that can be taxing for people to watch if they’re not as invested in the franchise.
Having quicker adventure movies that develop more characters and create spin-of stories from The Lord of the Rings world will enhance the world that was previously created without dragging on. If Warner Bros wants to continue tapping into this franchise for more movies down the line, then it will be important for their quality to be high. If every movie lasts too long, it will be hard for people to continue being invested in The Lord of the Rings every time something new is created because people sometimes just want a simple story that is to the point without overstaying its welcome.
Check out The Lord of the Rings Extended Editions on Blu-ray. Immerse yourself in the complete Peter Jackson trilogy with additional scenes and extended storylines that delve deeper into J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterpiece. Witness the fellowship’s quest, epic battles, and the ultimate confrontation against the dark forces of Sauron, all presented in unparalleled detail and clarity for the truly immersive cinematic experience of Blu-ray.