--- title: Lord of the Rings Tolkien Based TV Series Will Be on Amazon description: Amazon announced they've bought the rights to a multi-season prequel series based on Tolkien's original writings. canonical: https://time.com/5022296/lord-of-the-rings-amazon/ author: Raisa Bruner article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-11-13T21:56:02.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:48:45.587Z og:title: Yes You're Getting a Lord of the Rings TV Series on Amazon og:description: It will be a prequel series set in Middle-earth og:url: https://time.com/5022296/lord-of-the-rings-amazon/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Yes You're Getting a Lord of the Rings TV Series on Amazon twitter:description: It will be a prequel series set in Middle-earth twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # It's Time to Prepare for the New _Lord of the Rings_ TV Series Coming to Amazon > Sponsored content. 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The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically.  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Nov 13, 2017 9:56 PM UTC  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Nov 13, 2017 9:56 PM UTC Buckle up, Tolkien fans: the [_Lord of the Rings_](http://time.com/5013939/sean-astin-lord-of-the-rings-series/) universe is officially getting a prequel television series. (And no, it’s not a retelling of [_The Hobbit_ ](http://time.com/4941811/hobbit-anniversary-1937-reviews/)— which, for those less-versed in the chronology of Middle-earth, is indeed a _Lord of the Rings_ prequel of its own.) On Monday, [Amazon announced](http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2316587) it had acquired the rights to the sprawling, [beloved fantasy empire](http://time.com/4407241/jrr-tolkien-galadriel-poem/), committing to multiple seasons exploring the Shire and its surroundings. In a release, Amazon noted that the series will be set in Middle-earth and will “explore new storylines” that precede [_The Fellowship of the Ring_](http://time.com/4655338/lord-of-the-rings-reunion-orlando-bloom-elijah-wood/), the first book in the famous trilogy in which Frodo Baggins and his eclectic cohort attempt to rid their land of the all-powerful ring. Amazon also shared that the deal includes potential for an “additional spin-off series,” which means the Lord of the Rings universe could rapidly expand. “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,” said Sharon Tal Yguado, Head of Scripted Series for Amazon Studios in a release. New Line was also involved in bringing Tolkien’s books to life on the big screen. The prolific Tolkien — who would have celebrated his 125th birthday this year — has already inspired six blockbuster movies, but there’s no doubt he left plenty more material to mine filled with tall tales of those fun-loving hobbits, regal elves, gruff dwarves and more. His published works, including those compiled posthumously, include prequel mythologies and histories of his fantastical universe like [_The Silmarillion_](https://www.amazon.com/Silmarillion-J-R-R-Tolkien/dp/0345325818) and _The History of Middle-earth_. 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