The Lord of the Rings: Gandalf's Return Creates a Seriously Confusing Situation!
More Middle-earth Magic: Three New Lord of the Rings Movies (But One's a Total Mystery!)
The Lord of the Rings is back, baby! Warner Bros. has three new movies coming. But while the return of Gandalf, one of the best Lord of the Rings characters ever (as everyone knows), is awesome news, it also creates a bunch of confusion. It makes things super weird, considering that there is a certain plot point in The War of the Rohirrim, and the upcoming Hunt for Gollum where this particular character shows up.
And those Lord of the Rings movies are HUGE deals; generating serious anticipation, folks! And let's not forget that other project, The Rings of Power. Yet, those three movies are happening, showing how successful the Lord of the Rings franchise remains.
Gandalf's Appearance in Hunt for Gollum (And That Seriously Strange Sequel): A Narrative Puzzle!
Ian McKellen’s return as Gandalf in The Hunt for Gollum (confirmed by Deadline) makes total sense; a pivotal story focusing on Gandalf's search for Gollum, this creates that hook needed for fans; making it very exciting!
Then comes that weirdly vague third movie; a sequel confirmed by Philippa Boyens (as found by Empire)! But then Boyens also mentions The Hunt for Gollum "isn’t two films" showing a major issue regarding continuity between that sequel. This means the overall storyline isn’t well-defined and we really have no idea how it all ties together. And we don’t really know what role Gandalf might even have in that seriously confusing storyline, folks. The absence of well-defined explanations for this third movie makes many people confused!
Gandalf’s Role in Warner Bros.’ Third Lord of the Rings Film: More Mystery Than Middle-earth
What could happen if Warner Bros.' third LotR film IS a Hunt for Gollum sequel? The storyline involving Gandalf chasing Gollum makes some sense. It would cover Mirkwood, Rhovanion, and Mordor. And the potential source material would still remain quite extensive and certainly possible to tell a coherent storyline that maintains integrity to the source material. But if that next film has no relationship to Hunt for Gollum? The mystery only continues! The potential options remain limitless!
Boyens mentioned that Hunt for Gollum "falls after the birthday party of Bilbo and before the Mines of Moria"; thus providing the timeframe but nothing more concrete for additional story implications, leaving open that potential use of earlier storylines related to Gandalf's role early on.
Possible Stories for a Third Lord of the Rings Film (Will it be Anime, Again?)
The lack of narrative clarity has impacted people, leading them to question those choices Warner Bros is making: A follow up to Hunt for Gollum might seem short on material, especially considering Peter Jackson’s films covered most of Gandalf's big moments! This suggests an earlier period: perhaps Gandalf's early Third Age arrival in Middle-earth; Or even, crazier still, his existence in the Timeless Halls! Those stories offer plenty of source material! Even the production type itself remains a big mystery as Boyens stated "We have an absolute banger of a second film that would just be incredible as an anime." There’s tons of choices; and we will never know until these films actually appear.
Is the Lord of the Rings Franchise Over-Reliant on Gandalf?
That third movie's continued inclusion of Gandalf raises questions about the entire franchise, about this repeated use of this very same character. It leaves people questioning what other possibilities exist that might potentially increase this particular series’ long-term storytelling viability. Using Gandalf constantly seems like a shortcut, not a story-based decision. Many question if Warner Bros. is banking too much on this hugely popular and well-known Lord of the Rings character instead of focusing on many other untold stories.
Maintaining faithfulness to the source material remains critically important! Using Gandalf as this major promotional tool worries many: They feel Warner Bros might risk losing creative integrity and this will only create deeper problems related to plot coherence and narrative depth, even creating potentially irreparable failures in what could otherwise be another interesting Lord of the Rings adventure. Fans and critics alike might well point to questionable creative decisions made, potentially making it impossible for certain films to fully generate that kind of hoped-for narrative that audiences have come to love and adore.
Conclusion: Middle-earth's Future Remains Unclear
Warner Bros.’ plans for three new Lord of the Rings films remain quite confusing. Those new Gandalf stories—the existing potential for these movies and the lack of specific narrative continuity regarding that third movie have fans unsure. While some speculate that Warner Bros. intends to merely create another Lord of the Rings money-making venture; yet other audience members might find additional hope that Warner Bros. actually plans a grand, unexpected plot twist which has implications far beyond the immediately apparent story. Even without many specifics and with the lack of many of those fundamental details; there remains some serious anticipation for those who will follow this ambitious production.
