A Lord of the Rings TV series is coming to Amazon. The Goliath has purchased the global television rights to the series for close to $250 million from the Tokien Estate. The series will be a prequel to the film series, although details as of right now are very mum.
Amazon is obviously trying to capitalize on the success of Game of Thrones. The thing is, The Lord of the Ring’s popularity peaked roughly 12-13 years ago. A Game of Thrones-like series would not fit in Middle Earth. There is already material that is “technically” a prequel to Frodo’s adventures in LOTR, even in the first book. Recasting classic characters like Gandalf and Aragorn would not work; they are too iconic. We don’t know what the story is yet, but any prequel without Aragorn or Gandalf doesn’t quite fit.
“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.”
Amazon’s scripted series’ have been spotty at best. Bosch is solid with Titus Wellliver, but even Man in the High Castle has been on-and-off, especially with constantly changing showrunners.
If Lord of the Rings hopes to have any kind of success, they need a top-notch, consistent writing talent and showrunners. They can’t bring in the likes of someone like Scott Buck who ruins everything he touches.