The Lord of The Rings is a franchise powerhouse that’s about to get even bigger. With the success of Amazon’s The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power television series Embracer Group, the new owners of Middle Earth Enterprises have given the first hint of what they may have planned during a presentation earlier this week.
Middle Earth Enterprises is the company that owns the Lord of the Rings among other J.R.R. Tolkien titles and characters, the Swedish-based Embracer looks to move beyond television, and movies and dive into games and theme park attractions. According to Variety, CEO Lars Wingefors wouldn’t get into specific details, but he revealed he has been consulting with other film companies and business partners about the best way to develop what he described as a “world-leading fantasy IP.”
Embracer Group purchased Middle Earth Enterprises for an undisclosed sum from previous owner Saul Zaentz Co. in October. Wingefors explained that while he’s only had the franchise rights for only a couple of months, he’s had plans since the first day, even though he left the details a mystery.
“We are taking the perspective [of] a very long-term view: how should we, together with the other stakeholders, develop this world-leading fantasy IP into the future? Gaming [is] one part of it. But it’s too early to give color on our specific plans. I think we are still open-minded for…input into that. I think [there’s] also very interesting conversations around other media than gaming relating to that IP. But unfortunately, I have to tell you: stay tuned for the future.”
Over the past year, Embracer has gone on an acquisition shopping spree. It recently snapped up some of the most iconic IP in entertainment including Dark Horse Comics, which published titles including The Mask in the 1990s and the Stranger Things tie-in comics. They also acquired Anime Ltd, a U.K.-based distributor of Japanese entertainment including animation, music, and merchandise, this past November.
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