One entertainment broker thinks that The Lord of the Rings franchise can be as big as Marvel or Star Wars. ACF Investment Bank CEO Thomas Dey was the man who shepherded the sale of the IP to Embracer Group. Speaking to Mipcom Cannes at their keynote. Deadline reports that the executive said, “I think this asset has the ability to get to [Marvel and Star Wars’] scale. Someone has just needed to have the belief that this can be as ambitious as it can be.” He could be right, but viewers determine that. Apparently, the sale hinged on the idea that there were only six or so IPs on the planet that could reach these heights. Amazon’s Rings of Power has reinvigorated some interest in the brand among casual fans, but it remains to be seen which projects will get the go-ahead in the early days of Embracer’s ownership. They have the reins on Movies, video games, board games, merchandise, theme parks, and stage production. So, any use of the name will likely have to go through them.
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How Did Rings of Power Come to Be?
In an interview with Variety, Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke talked about how closely their operation worked with the Tolkien estate on Rings of Power. It turns out that Simon Tolkien, the author’s grandson played a bit of an intermediary when it came to assembling the Amazon series. Check out what she had to say right here.
“Simon Tolkien, the author’s grandson, turned out to be such a collaborator of ours, and a friend,” Salke began. “He’s a wonderful guy and an author in his own right. And he’s sort of the designated liaison for this deal with Amazon. There were very clear guidelines around that participation, and he really became such a good sounding board and partner.”
Salke would expand on the role that that family had in developing Rings of Power once things got off the ground. “It wasn’t that specific; it was more about advising around different pathways of rights that might have challenges to them. Because there are very clear delineations there. But the estate was very open and encouraging for reinvention, but always in ways that stay true to Tolkien. We all have the same kind of vision for this property. There was never any disconnect there, which is probably why it worked out so well.”
Do you think Lord of the Rings could be as big as Marvel or Star Wars? Let us know down in the comments!
