For Lord of the Rings fans, this is a very interesting time. Not only is the Amazon’s The Rings of Power just a few weeks away, but now we learn the franchise rights have a new owner. Embracer Group has acquired the rights to adapt JRR Tolkien’s Middle-Earth stories, and they’re already setting the stage for new adaptations and big-screen spinoffs of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
A press release confirming the acquisition states: “Other opportunities include exploring additional movies based on iconic characters such as Gandalf, Aragorn, Gollum, Galadriel, Eowyn and other characters from the literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien.”
The deal encompasses film rights, novels, games, theme parks, stageplays, and of course, merchandising. Considering they’re talking about character-specific adaptations they could happen in just about any form. For instance, an Aragorn video might be super cool.
But would people be just as interested in an Aragorn or Gandalf movie? It certainly sounds as if everything is on the table, including new novelizations approved by the Tolkien estate and HarperCollins…
“I am truly excited to have The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, one of the world’s most epic fantasy franchises join the Embracer family, opening up more transmedia opportunities including synergies across our global group,” says Lars Wingefors, Founder and Group CEO Embracer Group.
“I am thrilled to see what lies in the future for this IP with Freemode and Asmodee as a start within the group. Going forward, we also look forward to collaborating with both existing and new external licensees of our increasingly stronger IP portfolio.”
So how does this affect Amazon Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series? It doesn’t. That will keep going as planned, but it might soon be part of a crowd.