Because there is no franchise that cannot be rebooted, Amazon and Warner Brothers Television are in talks with the Tolkien estate to turn The Lord of the Rings into a television series for the streaming service. According to Variety, the project is still in the very early stage of development, with Warner Brothers Television and the Tolkien estate shopping the project to a number of networks before Amazon become the likely frontrunner. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, a major fantasy fan, is allegedly handling the deal for Amazon Studios personally.
The original films directed by Peter Jackson were released in 2001, 2002, and 2003, so fans should have probably seen this coming. The trilogy was a critical and commercial smash hit and has endured as one of the most beloved franchises of all time.
While there are some things that were cut from the film series — Tom Bombadil, the Barrow Downs, and the saving of the Shire — that could be fleshed out in a television show, there are other stories that still have to be told for the first time. Maybe leave this particular army of the dead alone.
Plus, the thought of anyone other than Sir Ian McKellen playing Gandalf borders on blasphemy.
(Via Variety)
