A new Lord of the Rings series is set to be forged by Amazon

It turns out that it may not be one Lord of the Rings to rule them all

Peter Jackson’s classic movie trilogy, The Lord of the Rings, was released way back in 2001, and yet it still reigns supreme today as one of the best Fantasy/Adventure movies of all time. But now, thanks to Amazon’s record-breaking bid, Tolkien’s classic is set to be repackaged in the format of a TV series.

It has been confirmed that Amazon’s new $250 million investment includes a "multi-season commitment.” Rumours have been running as wild as the Black Riders recently that there may be as many as 5 seasons. Speculation also indicates that the series will move away from Tolkien’s original trilogy, and be based more on the previous events for the main characters within the fellowship. Don’t worry though Tolkien fans, this will all be canon as the stories will be made from the author’s notes and appendices.

The series will also be produced by New Line Cinema, the studio behind Jackson’s award winning trilogy. There’s no word yet on whether Peter Jackson will be involved, but apparently the first season could focus on a young Aragorn. No actors have been cast yet either, but some from Jackson’s trilogy have ruled themselves out (Andy Serkis who played Gollum and John Rhys Davis who played Gimli).

It may be hard to imagine any of the fellowship’s characters being played by different actors, but it looks as if Sir Ian McKellen is keen to play Gandalf again. When questioned on BBC radio he stated “I haven’t said yes because I haven’t been asked”, but it seems he would disapprove of someone else having the role: “But are you suggesting that someone else is going to play it? Gandalf is over 7,000 years old, so I’m not too old.” For us another actor playing Gandalf just wouldn’t pass…

It’s an exciting time for fans of episodic TV shows as Andrzej Sapkowski Witcher novels are being adapted for Netflix, and Star Wars have dropped hints at what to expect from their future TV programs.