If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Hey New Line, give The Mummy's Lee Cronin the Lord of the Rings movie he wants to direct

Remember, before Peter Jackson adapted J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings for film, he was an experienced horror director - we're pretty sure that means that The Mummy and Evil Dead Rise director Lee Cronin deserves a shot, too

News by Grant DeArmitt, Staff Writer

Published on Tue Apr 21 2026

Popverse's top stories

Apparently, Middle-earth is taking applications.

At least, that's what we gathered from the host of recent announcements regarding newcomers to the cinematic Lord of the Rings franchise - we probably don't have to tell you about Stephen Colbert penning a new pre-Fellowship script or Jamie Dornan becoming the next Aragorn, son of Arathorn. What we might have to tell you, though, is about the new guy who's turning in his proverbial resume for LOTR duties: Lee Cronin.

That's right, the director of 2026 horror hit The Mummy as well as the most recent installment of the Evil Dead franchise, Evil Dead Rise, is making it known that he'd like the chance to direct a Lord of the Rings movie. Specifically, he said so in an interview with Variety, after being asked which "cinematic world" the Hole in the Ground director would like to join.

"Lord of the Rings, for sure," Cronin answered. "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."

Fans of the original Lord of the Rings trilogy probably know just how linked the horror genre is to the first onscreen Middle-earth - not only was Peter Jackson a horror director before his time in New Zealand, but the cast also boasted frightening greats in the forms of Christopher Lee, one of cinema's most iconic Draculas, and Brad Dourif, who gave chilling life to Chucky.

What's unknown is exactly what corner of the Lord of the Rings franchise Cronin would want to tackle, but there's plenty of Nameless Things and Hosts of Mordor for him to play around with if he wanted to keep his horror streak going while also achieving his dream. Then again, we wouldn't mind seeing him going the exact opposite way either - who's got the film rights to Tales from the Shire, anyway?

Lee Cronin's The Mummy is in theaters now. The Lord of the Rings' next film, The Hunt for Gollum, is in theaters December 17, 2027.

Whether you're Shirefolk, Elven, Dwarven, or something else, there's a good reason to love Lord of the Rings. We do! With that in mind, we have a dragon's horde of goodies for you:

Follow Popverse for upcoming event coverage and news

Grant DeArmitt: Grant DeArmitt (he/him) likes horror, comics, and the unholy union of the two. In the past, and despite their better judgment, he has written for Nightmare on Film Street and Newsarama. He lives in Brooklyn with his partner, Kingsley, and corgi, Legs.