(Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures) A popular horror director has expressed his desire to explore The Lord of the Rings world, saying he’d “drop everything” to direct the beloved epic fantasy franchise. The Lord of the Rings film series, based on the novel by J.

R. R. Tolkien, currently has three live-action movies directed by Peter Jackson (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King).

The franchise also expanded across television with The Rings of Power. The franchise expands further with Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum, set for release on December 17, 2027. Lee Cronin, the filmmaker behind Evil Dead Rise and 2026’s The Mummy, revealed in an interview that he’d love to direct a Lord of the Rings project if given the opportunity to do so.

He said, “Lord of the Rings,’ for sure. The fact that that’s over at New Line — I’d always be whispering a little bit of elvish the corner. That’s a world that I absolutely adore.

I’d drop everything for an opportunity to play around in Middle-earth.” What are the two popular franchises Lee Cronin would love to direct? In addition to the fantasy film series, Cronin also shared his desire to take on the mantle as the next Nightmare on Elm Street director, saying, “And then, from a horror point of view, I would find it very hard not to have a swing at ol’ Freddy Krueger, because he haunted my nightmares throughout my entire childhood and still pops up about four times a year. But I actually think it’s unlikely that my next movie will be franchise adjacent — and that’s something that feels important to me right now.” Besides Evil Dead Rise and The Mummy, Cronin also directed the 2019 supernatural horror film The Hole in the Ground.

He continues his journey with the Evil Dead franchise, with Evil Dead Burn set for release this year. Evil Dead Wrath, on the other hand, will hit theaters in 2028. (Source: Variety)