That only works for original content by JRR Tolkien. If other authors write that cintent, and not just adapting it for TV or cinema, it will the same mess as the Dune prequels. The Hobbit was great, I love it both the movies and the book, but even there you saw the less then stellar content and story arch around Gandalf that was only hinted at in the book. Now image the whole story arch is like that...
