Amazon lands Lord of the Rings TV remake

Amazon has acquired the global rights to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, for TV adaptation across multiple seasons.

The upcoming original, rumoured to be costing US$250 million, 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 move arrives after Amazon has pledged to further up content investment in the coming year, with an eye on big, globally popular shows like Game of Thrones.

Set in Middle Earth, the adaptation will explore new storylines preceding Tokien’s The Fellowship of the Ring. The deal includes a potential spin-off series alongside the multi-season production commitment.

“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 at Amazon Studios.

“We are honoured 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 upcoming series will be available for Prime members globally.

It seems the recent departures of content execs Roy Price, Morgan Wandell, Joe Lewis and Conrad Riggs, has not slowed down the company’s plans for further content investment.

The SVOD service has intimated it is moving away from more niche programming and towards bigger ticket fare, with Lord of the Rings perfectly fitting this strategy.