A “Lord of the Rings” series is officially happening, and we’re ready for more second breakfasts

It’s time to head back to Middle Earth: a Lord of The Rings TV series is coming to Amazon.
After a widely publicized search for its own response to Game of Thrones, Amazon Studios has announced that it has acquired the rights to J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved Lord of the Rings books, complete with a multi-season production deal.
But don’t worry, this doesn’t mean we’ll be following Frodo Baggins on his epic journey again.
According to Amazon, the series will be a prequel to the events famously depicted in the Peter Jackson trilogy, and will “explore new storylines preceding J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring.” The deal would also explore potential spinoffs, meaning this could be the start of a whole new iteration of the LOTR franchise at Amazon.
“The Lord of the Rings is a cultural phenomenon that has captured the imagination of generations of fans through literature and the big screen, said Sharon Tal Yguado, Head of Scripted Series, Amazon Studios. “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.
According to reports, the Tolkien estate had been shopping the project around to major platforms, including Netflix and HBO, before Amazon acquired the rights for a near $250 million. So it’s safe to say the Lord of the Rings TV series is going to be one of the biggest shows to grace our screens sometime in the next few years.
Meanwhile, the Tolkien estate is thrilled to have found a home at Amazon.
“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, said 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.
The Middle Earth-set franchise has already been widely explored by Peter Jackson in both the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, so we’re certainly curious to follow a new story within the beloved original.
No word as to whether any of the original cast members are returning — as new characters, obviously — but here’s hoping Sean Astin pops up as an ancestor of the beloved Samwise Gamgee, Ian McKellen has a quick cameo, and of course, we learn the origins of second breakfast.