With Warner Bros. Pictures hoping to expand its Lord of the Rings franchise, It's possible that the studio will end up turning to JRR Tolkien's Fourth Age for new story ideas. There are many fascinating events to cover before Frodo's story in The Lord of the Rings, and The War of the Rohirrim is already recognizing this fact. Tolkien's Second Age is also being covered on Amazon Rings of Power show, and The Hunt for Gollum is proving that even Peter Jackson's film trilogy can be expanded into new films.
As far as on-screen adaptations go, what's out there has only scratched the surface of Tolkien's vast world-building. A First Age adaptation would be complicated, but it contains all kinds of possibilities, as it would allow the creators to bring some of Tolkien's strongest characters to the screen. A Fourth Age story also has untapped potential, as it could show what happened to Middle-earth after Sauron's defeat in the Third Age. There's a member of the Brotherhood whose story could be used to bring the Fourth Age to the big screenalthough it may be difficult to achieve.
A Lord of the Rings movie about the story of Gimli's fourth age would be fascinating
Gimli's time as Lord of the Shining Caves could be covered
Aragorn becomes king of Gondor and Arnor at the end of The Return of the King, and the Hobbits return home to the Shire, where Sam begins a life with Rosie. Frodo finally sets out for the Undying Lands, with Gandalf, Bilbo, Galadriel, and Elrond joining him. The rest of the characters' fates are not addressed in the Lord of the Rings films, but Tolkien's writings suggest that the rest of the Fellowship will have busy lives in the Fourth Age. And Gimli's journey after the War of the Ring could be interesting to cover in a filmassuming it is treated well.
With Gimli playing such an important role in the rebuilding of Middle-earth and the future of the Fourth Age of Dwarves, it would be fascinating to see his story continue.
After The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien wrote that Gimli “became Lord of the Shining Caves,“ the caves that lay beneath Helm's Deep. Gimli gained this title after the War of the Ring and led Durin's People to the Shining Caverns to settle there. He helped rebuild Middle Earth after the conflict, with Tolkien writing: “He and his people did great works in Gondor and Rohan.“These works included the restoration of the gate of Minas Tirith. And with Gimli playing such an important role in the rebuilding of Middle Earth and the future of the Fourth Age of the Dwarves, it would be fascinating to actually see his story continue.
A Gimli sequel would capture more of the fan-favorite Lord of the Rings dynamics
His friendship with Legolas would continue in a Fourth Age film
In addition to expanding on the restoration of the Fourth Age of Middle-earth and the future of the Dwarves, a Gimli sequel would also feature a fan-favorite dynamic from Jackson Lord of the Rings trilogy. While there are several great friendships formed during the Fellowship's quest to destroy Sauron and the One Ring, one of the most fun in the films is that of Legolas and Gimli. The two start out skeptical of each other due to tensions between Elves and Dwarves. However, the bond between them turns into an affectionate rivalry and then a deeper friendship.
And Tolkien confirmed that Legolas and Gimli remained friends after the end of the War of the Ring, with the two keeping their vows to visit each other. Gimli's trip to Fangorn Forest could be included in a film about him, as could Legolas' trip to the Glowing Caves. It would be a great opportunity to bring the cast and characters together on screen, explaining what happens to the rest of the Brotherhood members in the process. Of course, there are also obstacles to making a Fourth Age film, especially one focused on familiar faces.
Why a Fourth Age Gimli Movie Could Be Difficult to Make
There are a few reasons why a LOTR sequel might not work
Although Gimli's story is far from over after the War of the Ring, it can be very difficult to make a Fourth Age film following your character – or really, any story from the Fourth Age. It's especially difficult to revisit the main players in Jackson's trilogy, since The Hunt for Gollum is proving. Warner Bros. would need to convince the original Lord of the Rings stars to reprise their roles, or it would be necessary to recast them. The latter would probably generate more controversy than it's worth, especially when there's so much history to explore in the First and Second Ages.
Furthermore, although Tolkien writes enough about the Fourth Age to inform us about the characters' endings, this is done mainly through appendices and letters. Since the author does not write any narratives on the Fourth Age, it can be difficult to turn his notes into a proper story. The Rings of Power is already highlighting this, receiving a lot of criticism for its interpretation of Tolkien's writings. It's also unclear what the conflict of a Gimli film could be, which could lead the creators to fabricate one. Overall, a follow-up The Lord of the Rings It’s risky – even when there’s potential.