Amazon is remaking 'Lord of the Rings' as a series

The rumors are true: Amazon Studios is moving ahead with a small-screen adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's beloved fantasy series The Lord of the Rings, despite the fact that Peter Jackson's film trilogy was pretty much perfect and a remake is wholly unnecessary. Amazon has acquired global television rights to the series and given it a multi-season commitment, which will "explore new storylines preceding J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring," according to a company release, implying that the show may weave in aspects of Tolkien's The Hobbit — since that story involves a number of characters who later reappear in Lord of the Rings — if not wholly new plotlines that will expand the world of the books.
“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 at 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.”
 “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.”