RELATIVES of Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien are considering the sale of the TV rights which could see a series created for Amazon or Netflix, it has emerged.
The two subscription channels are reportedly vying for the rights in a deal thought to be worth £189m.
Warner Bros Television and the estate of the fantasy author are in talks with Amazon Studios, according to Variety, with CEO Jeff Bezos personally involved in the web giant’s attempt to land the series.
But Netflix is also reportedly in the running to acquire the TV rights.
In 1969, the fantasy author who also wrote children’s story The Hobbit, sold the film rights to The Lord of the Rings to United Artists, which meant his family never fully benefited from the success of Peter Jackson’s film trilogy, which generated more than £2bn at the box office.
JRR Tolkien, an Oxford University academic, died in 1973.
The Lord of the Rings films were released in 2001, 2002 and 2003, followed a decade later by a trilogy inspired by the 1937 story The Hobbit.
Beneficiaries of any TV deal that is agreed will include Tolkien’s daughter Priscilla Tolkien.
There are also proposals for a Tolkien biopic, focusing on the author’s early life.
Lily Collins is in talks to join Nicholas Hoult in Chernin Entertainment and Fox Searchlight’s film.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here