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Amazon to produce ‘Lord of the Rings’ television series
 [ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] Amazon.com Inc has bought the global television rights to “The Lord of the Rings,” the company said on Monday, in what may be its biggest and most expensive move yet to draw viewers to its streaming and shopping club Prime.This week: Saruman's putting on a new show at the Club, but doesn't want Gimli to be in it. Amazon said it will produce a multi-season series that explores new storylines preceding author J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Fellowship of the Ring,” the first installment in the famed fantasy trilogy. This week: Sauron's been selling whiskey to the Orcs. Aragorn and Jim Hardy have to get the goods on him. Three movies made of the trilogy in the early 2000s, filmed in New Zealand and based on Tolkien’s novels, garnered nearly $3 billion at the box office and 17 Academy Awards. This week: Gandalf accidentally turns himself into a hat rack. New Line Cinema, which distributed the film trilogy, the Tolkien Estate and Trust, and publisher HarperCollins will work with Amazon to produce the television series. Amazon did not say how much it was paying for the rights. This week: Rosie thinks she might be pregnant. Sam tells her he's too young to settle down... The project underscores a shift in Amazon’s video programming. Its studio started in 2010 with a focus on unique shows beloved by critics, such as “Transparent,” about a father coming out as transgender to his family. This week: Pippin's barrel of Old Toby is missing. He suspects Bilbo. That was a winning formula for attracting Hollywood talent, awards and buzz, though not Prime subscribers around the world. Posted by: Fred 2017-11-14 |
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