Amazon is no longer working on its 'Lord of the Rings' MMORPG

We have unfortunate news for Lord of the Rings fans. Amazon Game Studios has announced it cancelled its MMORPG take on the series, which it announced in 2019. It was working on the game with China-based Leyou Technologies Holdings, which Tencent Holdings Ltd bought in December 2020. Contract negotiations fell through between Amazon and Tencent, this leading to this cancellation. An Amazon spokesperson confirmed the company "had been unable to secure terms to proceed with this title at this time."

The team working on the title will be shifted to other projects. This game joins Breakaway and Crucible as cancelled Amazon Game Studios titles.

Source: IGN

Amazon’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ series might have bits and pieces of Peter Jackson’s take on Middle-earth

While Amazon’s multi-season show based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s expansive Middle-earth universe isn’t going to directly carry over from the Peter Jackson movie adaptations of Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit, it seems there might be elements of it in the series. At least this is according to the report from The Hollywood Reporter, which also claims that production must start “within two years.” Amazon said to have worked out a deal with New Line Cinemas and Warner Bros. to let them use bits of the movies in the rumoured five-season show. But the show, as Amazon describes, will “explore new storylines preceding J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring.” There is also talk of possible spinoff series. With rich world Tolkien created in these books, Amazon certainly has a lot of material to work with.

According to THR’s report, it isn’t certain if Jackson will be involved in the production. But this acquisition does help Amazon face up against the other big names in video streaming and content creation. It’s said that Amazon is expected to spend around US$1 billion on the show for the duration of its run. Now, whether this will be a hit with the fans is another question altogether and one we can only answer when the show or shows do materialize. 

Source: The Verge

Lord of the Rings series coming to Amazon Prime Video

With the over the top success of Game of Thrones on HBO, it stands to reason that content creators and streaming services are looking for the next habit forming sword and sorcery series. So, why not go to the definitive property of the genre, which is J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. 

Sure, Peter Jackson's mined the trilogy as well as the Hobbit prequels but there's much more to Middle Earth and Amazon Prime Video has the rights. 

Amazon announced today that it has acquired the global TV rights to The Lord of the Rings. Amazon Studios will produce a multiseason television series in cooperation with New Line Cinema, the Tolkien estate and HarperCollins. The multi-season series will not retell the main epic story (we already have 10 hours of film dedicated to that), but will pursue connected storylines set in the same world. 

Source: Engadget