Amazon Prime has announced plans to make a Lord of the Rings TV show with the support of the Tolkien Estate and Trust, HarperCollins and New Line Cinema. The news was met with a mixed reception from fans of JRR Tolkien's books and the original film trilogy, with one writing: "As a huge #Tolkien fan...not sure if I should be excited or horrified at new Lord of the Rings series announcement," while another added: "I'm not watching the "Lord of the Rings" show if you're bringing in new actors to play the characters. I better see Elijah Wood as Frodo I don't care how old he looks."
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The final film of the trilogy came out in 2003
However, fans worried that the TV show will attempt to retell the story need not be concerned; the series will instead "explore new storylines preceding J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring", and will therefore be set before the events from the Oscar-winning trilogy. Speaking about the project, Head of Scripted Series at Amazon Studios, Sharon Tal Yguado, said: "The Lord of the Rings is a cultural phenomenon that has captured the imagination of generations of fans through literature and the big screen. We are honoured 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."
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Viggo Mortensen starred in the original trilogy
A representative for the Tolkien Estate added: "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. 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."