Start getting ready to journey back to Middle-earth.
Deadline is reporting that Amazon closed the deal for a new television series based on The Lord of the Rings, the classic fantasy novel series by J.R.R. Tolkien.
According to the article, Amazon is giving the series a multi-season commitment. The TV series 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 Lord of the Rings film series.
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."
"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."
The article also claims that the deal came with an upfront payment in the $200 to $250 million range, just for the rights, before any costs for development, talent and production. On top of that, they claim, the budget is likely to be $100 to $150 million per season.