Middle-earth Enterprises, the company that manages the licensing rights to The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and other works by JRR Tolkien in that universe, has been acquired by gaming giant Embracer Group. , signed a deal with the current owner, Saul Zaentz Company, which originally acquired the rights to The Lord of the Rings in 1976.
The Saul Zaentz Company has been considering selling the Middle-earth company since early this year, when industry insiders expected Amazon to be the most likely candidate to acquire IP rights. While Middle-earth’s assets were reportedly valued at at least $2 billion, the parties have agreed to grant Embracer’s “global rights to movies, video games, board games, merchandising, and themes.” has agreed not to disclose the final price determined for the sale. Parks and Stage Productions”, based on Middle-earth.
Embracer now has a financial interest in all future works, including Middle-earth. The press release points to Amazon’s massive Rings of Power TV series, which premieres Sept. 2 on Amazon Prime Video, Warner Bros. The War of the Rohirrim animated film, and EA’s upcoming mobile game Heroes of Middle-earth. There are also Daedalic Entertainment’s Gollum games and the ongoing development of his MMO The Lord Of The Rings Online.
Asmodee, a subsidiary of Embracer, has long been a licensee of the Middle-earth franchise, publishing over a dozen board and card games based on The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
In a press release, the company hinted at future plans for the franchise, stating, “Explore additional films based on iconic characters such as Gandalf, Aragorn, Gollum, Galadriel, Eowyn, and other characters from JRR Tolkien’s literary work. “For better or worse, Embracer seems to be following the formula Disney pioneered with the MCU, planning a cinematic universe centered around The Lord of the Rings.
The acquisition is just one of many that Embracer has made this week, along with a number of game companies and studios.
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