Streaming giant Amazon announced on Monday that it has acquired global television rights for JRR Tolkien’s fantasy franchise The Lord of The Rings, reported The Hollywood Reporter. The multiple-season commitment is reportedly estimated to be $250 million, along with a potential spinoff in the cards.
The television series will be set in Tolkien’s fictional Middle-earth and will explore the events leading up to the first film in the series The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), starring Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian Mckellen and Orlando Bloom. The series will be produced Amazon Studios in collaboration with the Tolkien Estate and Trust, HarperCollins and New Line Cinema.
“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, Amazon’s new head of scripted told The Hollywood Reporter. “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.”