What is Amazon's 'Lord of the Rings' Series About?
Amazon Studios will be producing a multi-season "Lord of the Rings" series, as they have procured global TV rights for the franchise. The massive deal might even include a spinoff series.
The Amazon original is slated to be a prequel to J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Fellowship of the Ring." It should introduce new storylines, ones that go beyond the original work penned by Tolkien. On the other hand, reports say that the rights holders have imposed certain creative restrictions which limit what can and cannot be done in the "Lord of the Rings" TV adaptation.
Not much has been revealed about the series but its production is said to rival HBO's "Game of Thrones."
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"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. "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."
It will be produced in partnership with Tolkien Estate and Trust; HarperCollins; and New Line Cinema, a division of Warner Bros. Entertainment behind the worldwide success of the "Lord of the Rings" film franchise.
Tolkien estate reportedly approached Amazon, Netflix, and HBO for the said project. And it was Amazon who acquired the rights by paying an upfront sum that is believed to be close to $250 million. The said amount is only for the rights, which means it does not include fees for development, talent, as well as production.
Production cost for an entire season, for a fantasy series of this scale, is believed to amount from $100 million to $150 million.
