After six movies that grossed almost US$6 billion in theatres, Amazon.com thinks there’s still money to be mined in Middle Earth.
The online commerce pioneer said on Monday it acquired global television rights to “The Lord of the Rings” and is working with Warner Bros, publisher HarperCollins and the J.R.R. Tolkien estate on a multi-season series.
The move underscores Amazon’s deepening commitment to video. The company offers thousands of movie and TV shows online for customers of its US$99-a-year Prime service.
It has produced original programmes such as “Transparent” and “The Man in the High Castle,” but has yet to score a mainstream hit along the lines of shows such as AMC’s “The Walking Dead” and HBO’s “Game of Thrones.”
The new series, available exclusively from Amazon, will explore storylines preceding “The Fellowship of the Ring,” the first instalment in the epic trilogy by Tolkien, a British author who died in 1973. The deal includes potential spin-off series, the company said.