The Lord Of The Rings Game Rights Are Up For Sale
The video game and movie rights for the Lord of the Rings are going on sale. Gulp.
11th Feb 2022 15:37
Monolith Productions
The Lord Of The Rings Game Rights Are Up For Sale
The video game and movie rights for the Lord of the Rings are going on sale. Gulp.
11th Feb 2022 15:37
Monolith Productions
The Lord of the Rings is one of the most enduring pop-culture reference points we've ever had. The novels changed the world of fantasy forever, and Peter Jackson's unrivalled epic film trilogy is yet to be matched in its grand scale. The story of Hobbits, wizards and big spicy eyeballs has never been topped, and that's not even a controversial take. The franchise has been the reference point for fantasy for a very long time, and it's for good reason.
But now, a new dawn for the franchise could be upon us.
The Rights For The Lord of the Rings Is Up For Sale
The rights for both film and video games of the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit stories are officially set to go on sale, and they're expected to go for a whopping $2 billion alone.
This is according to Variety, who have reported that the current rights owner for movies, gaming, merchandising, live events and theme parks based on the J.R.R. Tolkein, The Saul Zaentz Company, is selling them at auction.
This is a big deal, as it means the future of the massive fantasy series could be in the hands of the highest bidder - but it bears a big question.
Which Studio Should Make A New Lord of the Rings Game?
Of course, the debate now turns to who is the best choice to work on a new title for the Lord of the Rings mythos, and we've got a few ideas.
CD PROJEKT RED are the immediate team that leap to mind, with their fantasy prowess and successes that came with the launch of The Witcher - but if we're going full RPG, then Obsidian or Lionhead Studios would be able to capture the incredible density of Middle Earth while still offering players a chance to feel at home there.
Alternatively, if a more linear Lord of the Rings title is on the cards, then perhaps Respawn Entertainment could take the lessons learned with Jedi: Fallen Order and apply them to Tolkein's vast fantasy world.
Whoever ends up picking up the rights to Lord of the Rings, this is a big deal. A new age of stories set in Middle Earth is almost definitely on the way - and frankly, we're not sure we're ready for them.
About The Author
Joseph Kime
Joseph Kime is the Senior Trending News Journalist for GGRecon from Devon, UK. Before graduating from MarJon University with a degree in Journalism, he started writing music reviews for his own website before writing for the likes of FANDOM, Zavvi and The Digital Fix. He is host of the Big Screen Book Club podcast, and author of Building A Universe, a book that chronicles the history of superhero movies. His favourite games include DOOM (2016), Celeste and Pokemon Emerald.
