Sir Peter Jackson would ‘hesitate’ to make Lord of the Rings now
Over two decades on from the release of The Fellowship of the Ring, Sir Peter Jackson has admitted he would "hesitate" to "even think" about making The Lord of the Rings today.
Sir Peter Jackson would “hesitate” if he were to “even think” about making The Lord of the Rings now.
The 64-year-old director helmed the iconic fantasy trilogy and the prequel movies The Hobbit, and while Jackson is proud of The Lord of the Rings, the filmmaker has admitted the sheer scale and scope of the blockbusters would likely mean they could not be made today.
Speaking with Empire magazine, he said: “What the hell were we thinking? I mean, I would hesitate to even think that we could do anything like that now. It's almost overwhelming to think back on. I was younger, we were all younger, and enthusiastic and naive.
“I don't miss those days. Because there's no point missing them; they came, and they went, and life goes on, and I've done quite a few things since. But I'm certainly proud of the films.”
Jackson’s collaborator Philippa Boyens - who co-wrote with the director on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit - agreed with the filmmaker.
She recalled: “I thought I'd be lucky if I got maybe three months' work out of it. There were moments that he absolutely saw because that's how his brain works. You know, following Gandalf over the edge, fighting the Balrog.”
Both Jackson and Boyens are due to return to the franchise to serve as producers on The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum.
The upcoming movie - slated to release in December 2027 - will be directed by Andy Serkis, who also portrayed Gollum/Smeagol in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
The film takes place during the events of The Fellowship of the Ring, and follows Aragorn (previously portrayed by Viggo Mortensen) as he embarks on a quest to find Gollum (Serkis).
Recently, Frodo Baggins actor Elijah Wood responded to the remarks Sir Ian McKellen made about the Hobbit and Gandalf potentially returning for The Hunt for Gollum, saying “a wizard can be trusted”.
When asked whether he and McKellen would be reprising their respective roles for the movie, the 44-year-old actor told Screen Rant: “I can neither confirm nor deny. Listen, a wizard is to be trusted. Aside from any of that, I'm not really allowed to confirm.
“I’m really excited about the film. I think it really is a creative ‘getting the band back together.’ A lot of the creative heads of department are back and in that space again. Philippa, I think, is co-writing it and producing it.
“It's very much that core original group getting back together to tell this story that will feel like a really fun exploration of this character that we all love so much. And I'm just really excited.”
McKellen previously let slip Gandalf and Frodo could have a part to play in The Hunt for Gollum.
Speaking at the For the Love of Fantasy fan event in London, the X-Men actor, 86, said: “I hear there's going to be another movie based in Middle-earth, and it's going to start filming in May. It's going to be directed by Gollum, and it's all about Gollum.
“I'll tell you two secrets about the casting: There's a character in the movie called Frodo, and there's a character in the movie called Gandalf. Apart from that, my lips are sealed!”
