Lord of the Rings’ New Owners are Already Talking About Gandalf and Aragorn Spin-Off Movies [IGN]

Embracer said in its acquisition announcement that, alongside other upcoming Lord of the Rings projects such as Amazon’s The Rings of Power and The War of the Rohirrim anime film, it’s also eager to explore movie tie-ins for some well known characters.

“Other opportunities include exploring additional movies based on iconic characters such as Gandalf, Aragorn, Gollum, Galadriel, Eowyn, and other characters from the literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien,” Embracer said. It will also “continue to provide new opportunities for fans to explore this fictive world through merchandising and other experiences.”

Embracer’s aqcuisition of Middle-earth Enterprises gives it the worldwide rights to motion pictures, video games, board games, merchandising, theme parks, and stage productions relating to the literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien.

The majority of Lord of the Rings media to be released in the last few decades ultimately came from these rights, – previously owned by The Saul Zaentz Company – through licensing deals that resulted in the likes of Peter Jackson’s film trilogies, various Lord of the Rings video games, and more.

While the company therefore is the sole authority regarding potential movies based on Gandalf, Aragorn, and so on, the new projects would likely be fresh takes that aren’t necessarily related to the characters or actors featured in the film trilogies. This is akin to upcoming video game The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, which features the familiar character but as a version apparently based directly on the books’ lore, and not the movie interpretation.

The Saul Zaentz Company announced its intentions to sell Middle-earth Enterprises earlier this year, with Amazon thought to be the front-runner at the time given the imminent premiere of its Rings of Power series. Embracer has proven itself to be a publishing powerhouse, however, perhaps most notably acquiring three Square Enix developers back in May.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer. He’ll talk about The Witcher all day.