Amazon Acquires Rights for ‘Lord of the Rings’ Multi-Season TV Series

Amazon announced Monday it has acquired the the global TV rights to J.R.R. Tolkien’s mega-hit book series, Lord of the Rings. The streaming service also revealed a plan to develop a multi-season television series and it has the option for a potential spinoff series.

The small screen adaptation will be set in the fantastical world of Middle Earth and explore new storylines preceding J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring. Amazon Studios, in cooperation with the Tolkien Estate and Trust, HarperCollins and New Line Cinema, will produce.

“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 at Amazon Studios, said in a statement Monday. “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 available for all Prime members to stream on Amazon’s Prime Video app and devices that are connected to Amazon Fire TV.

LOTR famously grossed $6 billion worldwide, and earned 17 Academy Awards. The film franchise was directed by Peter Jackson, with a cast that included Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Sean Astin and Orlando Bloom.