The Most Epic Fantasy and Sci-Fi Website

The Lord of the Rings Franchise Can Be As Big as Marvel and Star Wars, Entertainment Broker Claims


The Lord of the Rings has been one of the most popular franchises to ever be referenced in different forms of media alongside Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and other book series. However, one entertainment broker thinks that The Lord of the Rings franchise can be as big as Marvel or Star Wars.

Why LOTR [Can Be] As Big As Marvel and Star Wars

click to enlarge
+ 2

ACF Investment Bank CEO Thomas Dey told Deadline that Lord of the Rings “is one of around six pieces of IP of this magnitude on the planet,” as its IP was handed over to the Sweden’s Embracer Group.

According to Dey, the franchise can reach the $6B-plus scale of Marvel and Star Wars. Embracer picked up its motion picture, video game, board game, merchandizing, theme parks and stage production rights related to the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit franchises over the summer, as well as the rights in other Middle-earth-related literary works authorized by Tolkien Estate and HarperCollins weeks before Amazon’s Rings of Power TV series was launched. Read Thomas Dey’s keynote below:

“I think this asset has the ability to get to [Marvel and Star Wars’] scale. Someone has just needed to have the belief that this can be as ambitious as it can be.”

Although Embracer’s focus is more on gaming, as CEO Lars Wingerfors said it is the company’s “strongest area of growth and monetization”, they are open to more opportunities surrounding ‘transmedia’ projects.

Thomas Dey Says The Deal Reflected the Major Shift in the TV and Film

click to enlarge
+ 2

“The deal was so secret that we were interviewed in the dark and didn't know what the asset was.” Thomas Dey says, pertaining to the time when Middle-earth Enterprises first approached ACF.

He also said that there remains to be ‘grey areas’ still being ironed out.

“People had assumed certain things along the way so not everything was crystal clear. In America, you can sort these things in court but even then you don’t get complete clarity.”

The deal reflected a major shift in the TV and film world as it moves from ‘peace and escapism’ to ‘immersive experience’, with Embracer taking this to their advantage.

“Metaverses are being discussed but gaming has already created one — you disappear for 10 hours and are active in that environment. So I think we will lean forward into that entertainment over the next decade and will look for other ways to do that. Audiences are demanding more than the ‘lean back’ approach.”

Also Read: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 Might Take A Few Years To Release According to Showrunners

For more articles like this, take a look at our Marvel, Geek Culture, and Star Wars pages.