'Lord of the Rings' TV Series News: Amazon Announces Multi-Series Adaptation
The "Lord of the Rings" television series has been made official by Amazon, who committed to a multi-series adaptation of the J.R.R. Tolkien epic.
The announcement comes just days after it was reported that Tolkien estate and Warner Bros. were actively looking for the project's home, trying Netflix and HBO but Amazon emerging as the frontrunner.
The "Lord of the Rings" TV series will take place before the events of the "The Fellowship of the Ring," the 2001 film that launched the trilogy directed by Peter Jackson.
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The project is expected to match the scale of HBO's "Game of Thrones," which is deemed the biggest and most popular series right now. It is also meant to give Amazon's programming a much-needed refresh after poor reception of some of its recent originals.
In an official statement, the Amazon head of scripted programming Sharon Tal Yguado expressed her excitement about 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 Tolkien estate is also happy about the partnership with its representative Matt Galsor saying:
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 JRR Tolkien's original writings.
This is the first major programming announcement Amazon made since the former head of scripted programming Roy Price stepped down from the post after accusations of sexual harassment against him emerged.
The "Lord of the Rings" TV series should help the streaming giant get a fresh start from the controversy and get a shot at giving its competition a run for their money.
