Middle Earth is officially making its way to the small screen. After reports surfaced last week stating that Amazon was in talks with Warner Bros. and the J. R. R. Tolkien estate for aLord of the RingsTV series, it’s now been confirmed that the project is moving forward. Amazon has made a multi-season commitment for the show and there’s even the chance of a spin-off. The good news forLord of the Ringsfans? The series is going to tell new stories set within the Tolkien mythology. Here’s what Matt Galsor, a representative for the Tolkien Estate and Trust and HarperCollins, had to say about it.
“We are delighted that Amazon, with its longstanding commitment to literature, is the home of the first-evermulti-season television seriesfor theLord of the Rings. 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.”
It’s said that these new adventures will explore stories prior to the events ofThe Fellowship of the Ring. That means Peter Jackson’s belovedLord of the Ringstrilogy won’t be part of what Amazon is going to adapt with this TV series. That should do plenty to extinguish fan concerns, but it opens up a great many questions. SinceThe Hobbithas already been adapted, albeit with much less critical acclaim, as a trilogy of movies as well, what does that leave? That’s the million dollar question. Here’s what Sharon Tal Yguado, Head of Scripted Series at Amazon Studios, had to say about theLord of the RingsTV series.
“The Lord of the Rings is acultural phenomenonthat has captured the imagination of generations of fans through literature and the big screen. 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 TheLord of the Ringsfans on a new epic journey in Middle Earth.”
So what can we expect in this newLord of the RingsTV series? For one, it’s incredibly unlikely that any of thecast from the original movieswill return for the series. Though, it’s not impossible to imagine that Peter Jackson could come on board in some capacity, possibly as a producer. But more importantly, what “unexplored stories” could this show tell? There’s at least one good answer;The Silmarillion.
This is purely speculative, butJ.R.R. Tolkiendid writeThe Silmarillion, a book that features stories set in the lands of Valinor, Beleriand, Númenor, and Middle-earth. It was published by his son, Christopher Tolkien, after his father’s death and was released in 1977. WhileAmazon’sinitial announcement makes no mention of making use of the stories inThe Silmarillion, it would seem to be the most logical place to go. Or, at the very least, the creative team can use it as a jumping off point. In any case, theLord of the Ringsfranchise is far from done.
