The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim has set a surprising box office record, and it continues a trend that’s worrisome for the franchise’s future. War of the Rohirrim is Warner Bros.’ first LOTR movie to hit theaters since The Hobbit trilogy’s conclusion a decade ago. The film adapts characters and events only briefly touched on in J.R.R. Tolkien’s appendices, and it does so in an animated format. Such elements make it a risky endeavor, and that shows in The War of the Rohirrim‘s mixed reception and underwhelming opening weekend.

The War of the Rohirrim set a new box office low for Peter Jackson’s universe, with its opening weekend bringing in an estimated $5 million (via Deadline). This is the lowest opening since The Fellowship of the Ring debuted in 2001, accumulating $47.2 million. Given The War of the Rohirrim‘s $30 million budget, its performance doesn’t look great for The Lord of the Rings franchise. This continues a disappointing trend for recent LOTR stories — one that doesn’t bode well for the future, even if 2026’s Hunt for Gollum movie succeeds.

War Of The Rohirrim’s Box Office Continues A Worrisome LOTR Trend After Rings Of Power

The Animated Movie & Amazon Series Are Seeing Disappointing Returns

The War of the Rohirrim continues a worrisome trend for The Lord of the Rings, as it’s not the only recent Tolkien adaptation to underperform. The Rings of Power season 2 is a separate entity from Warner Bros.’ movie franchise, but as it’s still an adaptation of Tolkien’s works, it features plenty of overlap in its characters and lore. And The Rings of Power season 2 saw declining viewership numbers in 2024, even as it passed a big milestone by becoming one of Amazon’s top five original shows.

This means both of the year’s LOTR projects yielded less-than-optimal results. And while Amazon’s Rings of Power plans have no bearing on Warner Bros.’ movie future — and vice versa — it’s worth noting that both the show and the animated film tread new territory. Both adapt parts of Tolkien’s legendarium that aren’t complete stories in the vein of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. This requires such projects to put their own spin on Tolkien’s writings and add original content, and their results suggest some fans aren’t thrilled with how they’ve handled it.

If The Hunt For Gollum Succeeds, It May Confirm A Harsh Truth About Lord Of The Rings’ Future

It Could Push Warner Bros. To Pursue Proven Stories Over More Original Ones

With any luck, The Hunt for Gollum will mark a comeback for The Lord of the Rings franchise after The War of the Rohirrim‘s disappointing box office performance. However, if the 2026 film proves successful, it could confirm a harsh reality about the future of the franchise. The Hunt for Gollum takes place during The Fellowship of the Ring, and could see multiple LOTR cast members returning.

If a movie steeped in that much nostalgia succeeds when more original narratives fail, Warner Bros. could take the wrong lesson from that.

If a movie steeped in that much nostalgia succeeds when more original narratives fail, Warner Bros. could take the wrong lesson from that. This could determine whether the future of the franchise after The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim embraces fresh takes on Tolkien’s legendarium. It could decide to rehash the same narratives over and over instead, something far too many other big IPs already do in the hopes of replicating the same success.