JamesG
11-13-2017, 03:07 PM
Amazon Sets "The Lord of the Rings" TV Series with Multi-Season Commitment
by Nellie Andreeva
November 13, 2017
In its quest to launch a hit fantasy series of the caliber of "Game of Thrones", Amazon has closed a massive deal, said to be close to $250 million, to acquire the global TV rights to "The Lord of the Rings", based on the fantasy novels by J.R.R. Tolkien.
The streaming service has given a multi-season commitment to the series in the pact, which also includes a potential spin-off series.
Amazon's series, which will be a prequel to Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring, 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, which produced the hugely successful LOTR movie franchise.
No details about the deal were disclosed but is believed to be in the $200 – $250 million range. That is just for the rights, before any costs for development, talent and production, in proposition whose finances industry observers called “insane.”
“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.”
http://deadline.com/2017/11/amazon-the-lord-of-the-rings-tv-series-multi-season-commitment-1202207065/
by Nellie Andreeva
November 13, 2017
In its quest to launch a hit fantasy series of the caliber of "Game of Thrones", Amazon has closed a massive deal, said to be close to $250 million, to acquire the global TV rights to "The Lord of the Rings", based on the fantasy novels by J.R.R. Tolkien.
The streaming service has given a multi-season commitment to the series in the pact, which also includes a potential spin-off series.
Amazon's series, which will be a prequel to Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring, 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, which produced the hugely successful LOTR movie franchise.
No details about the deal were disclosed but is believed to be in the $200 – $250 million range. That is just for the rights, before any costs for development, talent and production, in proposition whose finances industry observers called “insane.”
“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.”
http://deadline.com/2017/11/amazon-the-lord-of-the-rings-tv-series-multi-season-commitment-1202207065/