As a way to bring in the same momentum of beloved shows such as HBO's Game of Thrones, Amazon has just purchased the T.V. rights to Lord of the Rings, for their plans of turning the movie into a television series.
According to Deadline, the electronic commerce company closed the deal worth $250 million with a multi-season commitment. The film is based on the fantasy novels by J.R.R. Tolkien and a representative from Amazon Studios says they are honoured to take the movie to new heights with a scripted series, that will include a potential spin-off series.
“The Lord of the Rings is a cultural phenomenon that has captured the imagination of generations of fans through literature and the big screen,” Sharon Tal Yguado, Head of Scripted Series, tells the publication “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.”
For those who don't know, Lord of the Rings has seen three movie installments. The first hitting theatres in 2001 followed with a new movie every year until 2003. The movies are set in a fictional world called Middle-earth and, in short, follows the hobbit Frodo Baggins (played by Elijah Wood) as he embarks on a journey to destroy the One Ring.
“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,” Matt Galsor, a representative for the Tolkien Estate further tells the publication. “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.”
There has been no set date for when the series will be available for streaming. The project is in its early days having to find new characters to star in the show.