Some recent news involving Embracer Group purchasing Middle-earth Enterprises could have huge ramifications for the possibility of a Middle-earth cinematic universe. The deal saw the Swedish company buy Middle-earth Enterprises from The Saul Zaentz Company for a staggering amount, and with this newfound power that they now have at their disposal, it could mean something very exciting for any future media involving J.R.R. Tolkien’s famed world.
This deal means that Embracer will have the rights to movies, video games, board games, merchandising, and basically everything that’s related to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Due to this deal, a few whispers from some legal experts have floated around that a possible Middle-earth cinematic universe could be in the works. Nothing is set in stone, but don’t be surprised if this became a thing – just imagine what kind of world that would be.
The topic was brought up in a recent interview with TheGamer, and whether Embracer could develop such an almighty project. TheGamer asked industry expert Stuart Smith about his thoughts on the plans – Smith is a partner at Simkins commercial and corporate law firm in London. When asked about these possible plans, Smith responded “It certainly sounds like this is Embracer’s ambition, given the prominence of the reference to the movies based on The Lord of the Rings characters in the press release.” Embracer has already been hinting at the possibility of creating films that feature characters such as Gandalf and Aragorn. Does this mean we could have a few origin stories on the cards? It would be difficult to see other actors in these roles, but we’re always up for something new and bold.
In the interview (which you can read in full here) Smith also mentioned that it remains to be seen how successful this project would be however “This deal leaves the rights in an even more fragmented place, as the rights for The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit adaptation rights are now owned by a business that can, and likely wants to use them directly itself, but doesn’t have the rights to the most famous visual interpretations of those stories.” This could cause a problem, but what it does do is possibly open the door for less prominent characters and stories to take center stage, which could be an exciting turn of events.
One thing that isn’t in question is the possibility of franchise-related games. With Embracer Group currently owning several video game developers, publishers, and media companies, a few new IPs could well be on the way. “If Embracer wants to connect its games and other products to the Peter Jackson movies or the upcoming The Rings of Power series, it must deal with New Line Cinema or Amazon.” Such a deal would be in a similar fashion to what Sony and Marvel agreed on just a few years ago, which has gone from strength to strength.
