After six movies that grossed almost $6 billion in theaters, Amazon.com thinks there’s still money to be mined in Middle Earth.
The online commerce pioneer said Monday it acquired global TV rights to “The Lord of the Rings” and is working with Warner Bros., publisher HarperCollins and the J.R.R. Tolkien estate on a multiseason series.
The move underscores Amazon’s deepening commitment to video. The company offers thousands of movie and TV shows online for customers of its $99-a-year Prime service. It has produced original programs but has yet to score a mainstream hit along the lines of shows such as AMC’s “The Walking Dead” and HBO’s “Game of Thrones.”
The new series will explore story lines preceding “The Fellowship of the Ring,” the first installment in the epic trilogy by Tolkien.
