Feb 10, 2022 - Economy & Business

Rights to "Lord of the Rings" projected to haul in over $2 billion

Photo of a person cosplaying as Gandalf from the Lord of the Rings

Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The rights to J.R.R. Tolkien's work are precious indeed.

Catch up fast: With apologies to Gollum, a wide range of rights to the "Lord of the Rings" author's material is heading to auction and expected to command more than $2 billion, Variety reports.

  • A company previously owned by the late Saul Zaentz is selling its Tolkien intellectual property, including film, merchandising and gaming.
  • The move comes as fans of Tolkien’s work await Amazon’s epic “Lord of the Rings” TV series, “The Rings of Power," set to debut in September.

Nathan’s thought bubble: Soon Amazon may own an even greater chunk of Middle Earth.

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