10 Movies That Could Be Made In Middle-Earth After The Hobbit

8. The Rise Of The Witch-King

What's the story? A sorcerer from the noble line of Numenoreans in the far northern land of Angmar accepts a magic ring from Sauron with the promise of immortality and immense power, but at the cost of becoming a ghastly undead wraith and Sauron's lieutenant. After the first fall of Sauron he invades and conquers the northern kingdom of Arnor. It is prophesied that he cannot be killed by the hand of man. Why should it be filmed? In the absence of Sauron having much corporeal form beyond a flaming eye lighthouse, the Witch-king was really the main physical threat to the Fellowship throughout The Lord Of The Rings trilogy. Given the character's background as a formidable adversary in both The Lord Of The Rings and a brief appearance in The Hobbit, there would definitely be an audience for a movie that shows his rise to power. The likes of Elrond and Rivendell would provide a further link to the other films, as would a battle at Weathertop, which would tie in to the hobbits' later encounter with the Witch-King there. The Rise Of The Witch-King even has some brand recognition already having been a successful expansion pack for Electronic Arts' The Battle For Middle Earth strategy game. Why shouldn't it be filmed? The fact that the villain won't be properly defeated until the end of The Return Of The King might make any ending a little anti-climactic. Meanwhile, for all the promise of ice-bound battles, the villain is a lesser threat than that of Sauron or Smaug. The fact that the story has only the sketchiest of outlines from Tolkien would also make any imagined story potentially a little contentious with fans.