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The gaming, movie merchandising, and live event rights for The Lord of the Rings franchise are up for sale, Variety reports.
Zaentz Co. currently holds the rights to these Lord of the Rings rights, and it is selling them with the help of ACF Investment Bank. Variety claims that these rights could be worth up to $2 billion to the right buyer.
As for potential buyers, Variety theorized that Amazon may be a suitor because of its upcoming The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Amazon Prime television series. It would also be a compelling franchise for Amazon Game Studios to have at its disposal. Amazon previously canceled a Lord of the Rings MMO, so we wouldn’t be surprised if it returned to the idea if it owned the IP rights.
Daedalic Entertainment is currently working on a game starring Gollum, though it’s doubtful it could afford to buy the rights.
Warner Bros. is also a potential buyer. It produced the popular Lord of the Rings and Hobbit film series, and WB Games has also developed several titles set in that world, including Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Middle-earth: Shadow of War. The developer of those games is now working on a Wonder Woman game, and Variety reports that WB lost exclusive film rights last year. As such, its interest in acquiring these rights is questionable.
This deal is significant as it will play an important role in the future in terms of of what video games and films based on this franchise come out. Fans of The Lord of the Rings should keep an eye on the results of this sale.
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