11 Movie Franchises We Wish Weren’t Dead

Peter Jackson’s unruly juggernaut, filmed back-to-back and released in the form of the very best Christmas presents, has more than earned its spot at the top of this list.

Ignoring a few flaws, Jackson built a stunning trilogy to stand the test of time. Its attention to detail is unparalleled, the scenery breathtaking, and that’s not to mention its stellar special effects and pitch-perfect cast.

The Return Of The King broke all kinds of things, most notably, the curse of the third instalment. The second sequel to Fellowship matched Titanic and Ben-Hur for most Oscars won for a single film (eleven), and it also won every category that it was nominated for. Not many trilogy-toppers can say that now, can they?

Much like Harry Potter, the series has a very powerful message of friendship and a struggle against the odds at its core, and we gravitate to it, uncontrollably. What else is so special is how Jackson created individual worlds for the characters while encompassing the whole.

Could There Be A Comeback?

Given Hollywood’s addiction to making money, it’s difficult to believe that Middle-earth now ceases to rage. Although there are no more books to supply source material for a direct series continuation, there are, however, lesser means of building upon the franchise.

Tolkien’s The Silmarillion – protected under copyright law until 2043 – could appear on our screens, perhaps in serial TV form, but if anything is likely in the nearer future, it’ll be a trend of films set in Middle-earth, such as a Shadows of Mordor series.

Although this won’t ever satisfy our yearning for The Lord Of The Rings, it’ll do what The Hobbit did and provide an opportunity to see, once again, some of our favourite characters and settings play out.

Tell us the movie series’ you'd like to see resurrected that we missed in the comments below.