Amazon has acquired global TV rights to The Lord of the Rings and has given a multi-season commitment to a LOTR series.
Sharon Tal Yguado, Head of Scripted Series at Amazon Studios said of the project:
“The Lord of the Rings is a cultural phenomenon that has captured the imagination of generations of fans through literature and the big screen. 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.”
The series will be produced by Amazon Studios in cooperation with the Tolkien Estate and Trust; HarperCollins; and New Line Cinema, a division of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which produced the hugely successful LOTR movie franchise.
The Tolkien estate had been shopping the project, approaching Amazon, Netflix and HBO. Amazon landed the rights by paying close to $250 million. Just for the rights.
Matt Galsor, representative for the Tolkien Estate and Trust and HarperCollins, said of the announcement:
“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. 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.”