For an adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s dense and incredibly rich fantasy saga, it’s only fitting that The Lord of the Rings TV series is progressing at a slow and steady pace.
It’s said to be a multi-season revival of the legendary IP, one which is coming by way of Amazon Studios – the online retail giant reportedly shelled out millions of dollars in order to acquire TV rights to what is arguably one of the biggest franchises in entertainment.
For Jennifer Salke, newly-appointed boss of Amazon Studios, the small-screen adaptation is teeming with potential, as it gives the Powers That Be an opportunity to breath new life into The Lord of the Rings – with or without Peter Jackson’s involvement.
But more on that later. Up first, Salke addressed the company’s landmark deal for LOTR:
Lord of the Rings, the deal only closed like a month ago. But in the meantime, I’ve sat with Simon Tolkien [JRR Tolkien’s grandson] for a couple of hours, and [Amazon TV executive] Sharon [Tal Yguado] has spent tons of time with them. Clearly, there’ll be someone in charge, but it involves the estate and Peter Jackson, and there’s a lot of conversations. I think you can know that we’re not remaking the movies, but we’re also not starting from scratch. So, it’ll be characters you love.
Is this a sure-fire sign that the young Aragorn will headline The Lord of the Rings‘ opening season? It’s too soon to tell, as Jennifer Salke alludes to a possible premiere in 2021. Not only that, but it seems Amazon is weighing up the possibility of a writer’s room to help flesh out the show’s core storyline.
And while he’s been responsible for six – count ’em, six – movies set in Middle-earth, the addition of Peter Jackson as producer/creative advisor is still subject to debate:
The Peter Jackson conversations, right now we’re right in the middle of them. It’s like, how much do you want to be involved, how little? I know there’s been some discussion, and he’s even said some things, but as far as I’m aware, the latest is that we’re just in a conversation with him about how much or how little he would be involved.
Amazon’s Lord of the Rings is currently gestating in the early stages of development, but we’ll be keeping a close eye on the wildly ambitious project as more information comes to light.