Amazon’s latest book sales chart reveal that J.R.R. Tolkien books now occupy five of the top 20 spots.
The charts for the week of March 27 show the three volumes of The Lord of the Rings in spots #3, #5, and #7, while sales of The Hobbit meant it slotted in at #4. The real surprise, though, is that Tolkien’s posthumously published novel The Silmarillion sold well enough to enter the charts at #12.
Apparently this is the first time that The Silmarillion has reached the top strata of the Amazon sales charts. The result might indicate that Amazon Studios’ Rings of Power series is creating a wider interest in Tolkien’s First Age myths.
For Immediate Release: ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’ Rights Offered to Pioneering Fan Site, TheOneRing.net
BERKELEY, CA, USA — Pioneering fan site, TheOneRing.net, has been awarded the opportunity to officially bid to become part of Middle-earth. As announced in early 2022, The Saul Zaentz Company reported its intent to sell its Tolkien holdings, which include movie, merchandising, gaming and live event rights to “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit”. The company hired investment bankers to manage the sale, and as part of the process, The One Ring, Inc, operating as TheOneRing.net, has been offered an exclusive 4-month window to become part of the buyers group. The extension was granted to allow the volunteer members of TheOneRing.net time to launch a ground-breaking and ambitious effort to give fans control of these historic properties.
“We realize the effort will be monumental, and the stakes are high, but if Frodo can take the Ring to Mount Doom, we sure as heck can get fans a chance to be stakeholders and advocates of Tolkien’s work.”
Michael Regina, Executive Editor and Co-Founder
TheOneRing.net will be launching this fundraising effort in the coming weeks via their website, social media platforms, and their newly minted Discord channel. (discord.gg/theonering).
Multiple levels of participation will be offered, from US$5 to the max tier of $250,000,000. Perks will include original manuscripts of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’ as well as celebrity experiences with the plethora of individuals who have entered the Tolkien sphere over the past 80 years.
Kirsten Cairns, Senior Editor and Director of Partnerships for TheOneRing.net, who spearheaded TheOneRing.net’s previous successful crowdfund campaign, says:
“’The Lord of the Rings’ alone has sold nearly 150 million copies. If we can persuade those passionate fans each to donate at least $10 to this effort, we’ll be halfway there.”
The rights are expected to sell for an astounding $2 Billion with main competition coming from Universal (NYSE:UVV) and Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN)
About TheOneRing.net Founded in 1999 by a group of like-minded Tolkien fans so anxious for the coming Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings films that they were gathering up every scrap of production information to be found, TheOneRing.net continues today in bringing fans the latest news on the beloved figures involved in the making of the wildly popular Lord of the Rings movies, as well as the newest information available on upcoming productions, Tolkien-centered events, new publications, and fan gatherings.
About the Saul Zaentz Company Based in Berkeley, Calif., Zaentz Co. is home to Middle-earth Enterprises, which handles its Tolkien-related licensing. Zaentz first made his name as the longtime leader of Fantasy Records, an influential jazz and rock label in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. He also produced such movies as “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” (1975), “Amadeus” (1984) and “The English Patient” (1996), all three of which earned Oscars for best picture.
In a spy report for the ages, we’re excited to reveal Amazon is already planning an animated spin off from their Rings of Power series.
THE LORD OF THE RINGS (1978)
Anticipating the success of the show, premiering September 2nd on Prime Video, the creative team at Amazon are working on a children’s cartoon series. Here’s what our inside source told us:
The inspiration for the show came from the opening of The Hobbit, when Bilbo first encounters Gandalf. He remarks that the wizard ‘was responsible for so many quiet lads and lasses going off into the Blue for mad adventures. Anything from climbing trees to visiting Elves or sailing in ships, sailing to other shores!’ We thought it would be great to hear the stories of the other Hobbits, who had been on adventures with Gandalf in the past.
With this new series, we’re hoping to make ‘Saturday Morning Cartoons’ exciting, educational and fun again, with wholesome entertainment that is both silly, yet meaningful for the whole family. We’re delighted that Sir Lenny Henry, an actor with a well-known pedigree in comedy and family entertainment, has agreed to voice one of the main characters of the show. With such a distinguished performer already on board, we’re hoping to persuade Sir Ian McKellen to voice Gandalf for us. You really can’t have Gandalf without Sir Ian.
There hasn’t been a final title decision yet. ‘Adventure Hobbits’ was our first thought, but because The Rings of Power is set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, we’re featuring Harfoots in that series. So then we wanted to go with ‘Adventure Harfoots’; but of course the Istari didn’t arrive in Middle-earth until early in the Third Age – so can we blur the lines and have Gandalf and Harfoots together? Then of course there is the additional dilemma about whether it should be ‘Adventure Harfoots’ or ‘Adventure Harfeet’… It’s still a work in progress.
Here at TORn we’re speculating that Amazon may also have wanted to create something to go up against Warner Bros.’ animated Middle-earth tale, The War of the Rohirrim, which is slated for release in April 2024. Now Amazon will have their own animated adventure from Arda. There hasn’t been a cartoon Hobbit since the days of the Rankin/Bass movies; we can’t wait to see the first images from this upcoming show.
Bilbo as he appeared in the Rankin/Bass ‘The Hobbit’ animated film (1977)
Staff from TheOneRing.net will be at Wondercon this weekend in Anaheim and this project is one of many we will be discussing in our Middle-earth! Coming to your TV this Fall presentation. Look for us tonight in room North 200A at 4:30 pm, tickets are still available online and at the door.
TheOneRing.net will be at WonderCon this year, and we will be hosting two panels over the course of the weekend, April 1-3 in the Anaheim Convention Center. If you plan to attend the convention, please read through the WonderCon COVID protocols.
Our first panel, Middle-earth! Coming to your TV this Fall will be at 4:30 pm on Friday, April 1 (no joke) in room North 200A. This will be our big overview panel, with all the news, rumors, and anecdotes about Amazon’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, as well as the WB’s upcoming animated War of the Rohirrim. There will be an update on any and all Middle-earth news, activities, and events coming up this year. And we can wait to see if anyone has had enough time to create a costume from the recent Amazon Teaser Trailer.
Our Second panel, I am no Man: The Women of Middle-earth will be a deep dive into Tolkien’s legendarium to discuss all the unique and wonderful women that Tolkien created. For those who have just read The Hobbit, Middle-earth feels like an ‘all males club’, but in The Lord of the Rings and some of the books of deeper lore, there are queens and warriors and creators, all women, who had a hand in shaping the Middle-earth we all know and love. The presentation is still being crafted, if there is a specific woman of Middle-earth you wish to see discussed, send an email to Garfeimao@TheOnering.net. Include the character name and a brief note about what makes her so special for you, we will include as many as we can fit into our allotted panel time.
It’s the most wonderful time of year, when TheOneRing.net staff pick some of our favorite Tolkien inspired gifts for our 2021 Holiday Gift guide. From all of us, we wish you a safe and joyous holiday season.
Please note that all prices are in US currency and subject to change.
Head on over to The Digital Bits where they have a long, deep review of this new set worth reading. Remember, the new 4K looks stunning but requires a new 4K disc player + 4K TV.
Can an equivalent set be assembled piece by piece? Let’s shop:
LOTR 4K (2020) $75 Includes Theatrical & Extended in 4K – 9 Discs
Hobbit 4K (2020) $70 Includes Theatrical & Extended in 4K – 6 Discs
Hobbit Extended Edition Bluray 3D (2016) $60 Includes Extended Edition in 3D – Extended in 1080p 2D – Commentaries – Appendices – 15 discs
For $250 you can get the new 31-disc box set with some pretty postcards + Cannes reel + 30 minute reunions…
Or for the same price you can get all 45-discs INCLUDING all the Appendices + Remastered 4K editions + 3D Hobbits!
Is it worth buying a whole new set just for the Cannes footage? Watch our reunion of that momentous occasion as we assemble Producers, Press, and Fan Blogs to remember what Lord of the Rings at Cannes 2001 was like.
For all the completionists out there, fill out your Middle-earth collection with the other versions of Peter Jackson’s movies.
A final reminder that Peter Jackson has said on occasion that he wants to do a 25th anniversary “Unicorn Edition” with all the extra stuff that we haven’t seen yet – Frodo turning into Gollum, Faramir & Eowyn’s wedding, and a warts-n-all BTS documentary that goes even deeper into the drama of making these films. No announcements have been made that this is even in the works, but PJ is a billionaire now, so anything is possible!
