Amazon's 'Lord of the Rings' series to explore new storylines

Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Amazon says it has acquired the global television rights to the late J.R.R. Tolkien's classic The Lord of the Rings series of fantasy novels.

The streaming giant's planned multi-season series will explore new storylines set before The Fellowship of the Ring. The show is to be produced by Amazon Studios in cooperation with the Tolkien Estate and Trust, HarperCollins and New Line Cinema, a division of Warner Bros. Entertainment.

The deal includes a potential, additional spin-off series, the parties said in a press release.

No casting has been announced yet.

"The Lord of the Rings is a cultural phenomenon that has captured the imagination of generations of fans through literature and the big screen," Sharon Tal Yguado, head of scripted series at Amazon Studios, said in a statement Monday. "We are honored to be working with the Tolkien Estate and Trust , HarperCollins and New Line on this exciting collaboration for television and are thrilled to be taking The Lord of the Rings fans on a new epic journey in Middle Earth."

"We are delighted that Amazon, with its longstanding commitment to literature, is the home of the first-ever, multi-season television series for The Lord of the Rings," added Matt Galsor, a representative for the Tolkien Estate and Trust and HarperCollins. "Sharon and the team at Amazon Studios have exceptional ideas to bring to the screen previously unexplored stories based on J.R.R. Tolkien's original writings."

Filmmaker Peter Jackson previously adapted The Lord of the Rings books as a trilogy of big-screen blockbusters. Jackson also helmed three movies based on Tolkien's The Hobbit, which is a prequel to The Lord of the Rings adventures.