‘ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS BETTER’

Major ‘Lord of the Rings’ Deal Could Spawn More Spinoffs

Could this just be the beginning of Middle Earth’s story?

Buckle up, Lord of the Rings fans, because a whole new chapter could be on the books after Swedish gaming firm Embracer bought the rights to J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic works and suggested more spinoffs could be on the way. Embracer made the announcement on Thursday, hinting “other opportunities include exploring additional movies based on iconic characters such as Gandalf, Aragorn, Gollum, Galadriel, Eowyn and other characters from the literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien.” In the announcement, the gaming firm confirmed it has acquired Middle-earth Enterprises, which owns the intellectual property catalogue and worldwide rights to motion pictures, video games, board games, merchandising, theme parks, and stage productions relating to the iconic fantasy literary works The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit. The deal also includes matching rights in other Middle-earth-related literary works authorized by the Tolkien estate and HarperCollins, “which have yet to be explored,” according to a statement. The parties agreed not to disclose specific terms of the purchase price “due to commercial reasons.”