UPDATE: Amazon has officially titled their new LOTR series as The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Read more about that here in our follow-up report.
ORIGINAL STORY: Amazon has officially announced a new TV series based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic and legendary The Lord of the Rings franchise.
The new series is reportedly set before the events taking place in The Fellowship of the Ring, however considering the new deal is for a “multi-season commitment,” this is probably not related to The Hobbit and will be something they can make their own ongoing series.
The team at Amazon Studios apparently has “ideas to bring to the screen previously unexplored stories based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s original writings.” Furthermore, the deal includes a “potential additional spin-off series.”
While that’s all we have for now on what the series will be about, we do know production is being handled by Amazon Studios in collaboration with the Tolkien Estate, HarperCollins, and New Line Cinema (and by proxy Warner Bros. Entertainment).
“The Lord of the Rings is a cultural phenomenon that has captured the imagination of generations of fans through literature and the big screen,” said Sharon Tal Yguado, Head of Scripted Series, Amazon Studios. “We are honored to be working with the Tolkien Estate and Trust, HarperCollins and New Line on this exciting collaboration for television and are thrilled to be taking The Lord of the Rings fans on a new epic journey in Middle Earth.”
“We are delighted that Amazon, with its longstanding commitment to literature, is the home of the first-ever multi-season television series for The Lord of the Rings,” said Matt Galsor, a representative for the Tolkien Estate and Trust and HarperCollins. “Sharon and the team at Amazon Studios have exceptional ideas to bring to the screen previously unexplored stories based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s original writings.”
The new series will be exclusive to Amazon Prime under their “Amazon Prime Original” brand, and will be available to Amazon Prime members to stream and watch.
While many are likening this to Amazon boss Jeff Bezos’ attempt at “securing their own Game of Thrones,” it remains to be seen how much blood, sex, and incest this new TV series will have. What are you expecting from the new series? Or are you preparing to kill yourself? Sound off in the comments below!
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