Director Peter Jackson is in early discussions with the Tolkien estate to adapt J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion into films [1].

This development marks a potential expansion of the Middle-earth cinematic universe, moving beyond the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings to explore the foundational mythology of the world.

Jackson discussed the project during the 2026 Cannes Film Festival in France [4]. He said that a "new Tolkien era" and a shift in openness from the estate have finally made the adaptation of the complex text feasible [1, 2].

The Silmarillion has long been considered a difficult property to translate to the screen due to its dense history and scope. However, Jackson said that the current environment allows for these stories to be unlocked [2].

Beyond the potential Silmarillion projects, Jackson is also considering the production of two additional Lord of the Rings movies [5]. These would exist alongside the efforts to bring the earlier ages of Middle-earth to audiences.

While the talks remain in the early stages, the director's involvement signals a significant shift in the estate's willingness to license the more academic, and historical, portions of Tolkien's writing [1, 3].

“Peter Jackson is in early discussions with the Tolkien estate to adapt J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion into films.”

The shift in the Tolkien estate's posture suggests a strategic move toward broader commercialization of the author's complete legendarium. By partnering with Jackson, who possesses a proven track record of translating Tolkien's scale to cinema, the estate may be seeking to ensure that the most complex parts of the mythology are handled with a specific level of prestige and technical expertise.