Because the movies aren’t quite long enough, Amazon has ordered The Lord of the Rings TV show to series. According to the press release, the series order is for a multi-season adaption of the JRR Tolkien fantasy novel series, and some storylines will precede the first book, The Fellowship of the Ring. As reported last week, Warner Bros. had been shopping the series around and Amazon’s Jeff Bezos was personally involved in the negotiations.
Originally a sequel to Tolkien’s novel, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings book series is divided into three novels, The Fellowship of the Rings, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. The feature film trilogy, from director Peter Jackson, stars Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchette, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee, Hugo Weaving, Miranda Otto, Sean Bean, Bernard Hill, Andy Serkis, Ian Holm, and more. It premiered in theaters between 2001 and 2003. Casting on the Amazon series is yet to be announced.
Learn more about The Lord of the Rings TV series, from this Amazon press release.
Amazon to Adapt J.R.R. Tolkien’s Globally Renowned Fantasy Novels, The Lord of the Rings, for Television with a Multi Season Production Commitment
Television adaptation, exploring new storylines preceding J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring, slated to debut exclusively on Prime Video
SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nov. 13, 2017– (NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon today announced it has acquired the global television rights to The Lord of the Rings, based on the celebrated fantasy novels by J.R.R. Tolkien, with a multi-season commitment. The upcoming Amazon Prime Original will be produced by Amazon Studios in cooperation with the Tolkien Estate and Trust, HarperCollins and New Line Cinema, a division of Warner Bros. Entertainment.
“The Lord of the Rings is a cultural phenomenon that has captured the imagination of generations of fans through literature and the big screen,” said Sharon Tal Yguado, Head of Scripted Series, Amazon Studios. “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.”
“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,” said Matt Galsor, a representative for the Tolkien Estate and Trust and HarperCollins. “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.”
Set in Middle Earth, the television adaptation will explore new storylines preceding J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring. The deal includes a potential additional spin-off series.
A world-renowned literary work, and winner of the International Fantasy Award and Prometheus Hall of Fame Award, The Lord of the Rings novels was named Amazon customers’ favorite book of the millennium in 1999 and Britain’s best-loved novel of all time in BBC’s The Big Read in 2003. Its theatrical adaptations, from New Line Cinema and Director Peter Jackson, earned a combined gross of nearly $6 billion worldwide. With an all-star cast that included Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Sean Astin and Orlando Bloom, The Lord of the Rings trilogy garnered a combined 17 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
The upcoming Amazon Prime Original will be available for Prime members to stream and enjoy using the Amazon Prime Video app for TVs, connected devices including Amazon Fire TV, and mobile devices, or online with other Amazon Prime Originals online at Amazon.com/originals, at no additional cost to their membership. Eligible customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free trial at www.amazon.com/prime. For a list of all Amazon Prime Video compatible devices, visit www.amazon.com/howtostream. The series will be a global release for members to watch via the Prime Video app or online at PrimeVideo.com in more than 200 countries and territories.
What do you think? Are you a fan of the books and/or movies? Do you plan to check out The Lord of the Rings TV show when it debuts on Amazon? Who would you cast in this television adaptation?
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