Amazon hires writing team for ‘Lord of the Rings’ prequel series
Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios, announced that its Lord of the Rings TV series had hired a writing team for the prequel.
JD Payne and Patrick McKay, whose recent projects include Star Trek 4 for Paramount and Disney’s Jungle Cruise, will work to expand the world created by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Payne and McKay said in a statement: “The rich world that J.R.R. Tolkien created is filled with majesty and heart, wisdom and complexity. We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering with Amazon to bring it to life anew. We feel like Frodo, setting out from the Shire, with a great responsibility in our care — it is the beginning of the adventure of a lifetime.”
Amazon also notes that “While speculation is human nature, you can trust that when we have more news to share about this journey, we will share it with the world.”
In an interview with Deadline last month, Salke said, “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.”
The Lord of the Rings series, which has a multi-season commitment in a rights deal with the Tolkien estate believed to be close to $250 million, is based on the fantasy novels by Tolkien. It will be produced by Amazon Studios in cooperation with the Tolkien Estate and Trust, Harper Collins and New Line Cinema, a division of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which produced the Peter Jackson movies.