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So… Netflix just bought Warner Bros. (Pending regulatory approval…) We all knew WB was up for sale, but Netflix coming out on top was a bit of a plot twist. [Press Release]

Like us, Ringers across the world are asking what this means for Middle-earth on film. Do the rights change? Does this affect ‘Hunt for Gollum?’ Will we be watching the Extended Editions on Netflix next week? We decided to put a little list together to help walk through the big questions fans are already asking and what we actually know.

Does Netflix now own Lord of the Rings?

Nope. That is unless they are buying Embracer… (Which they aren’t)

The core adaptation, merchandising, and related rights are with Embracer’s Middle‑earth Enterprises. WB has been the licensee making the films. Netflix is just buying the parent company that owns the studio which holds that license. Yes, that’s a big deal, but it doesn’t magically move the Tolkien IP to Netflix.

Think of it like Netflix now owns the workshop where Middle-earth movies get built, but not the blueprints.

Does this affect the movies Warner Bros/New Line already made?

Yes – but not in a scary way. The Peter Jackson trilogies, the Hobbit films, and the War of the Rohirrim anime all stay with the studio. Since Netflix is buying the studio, that whole library goes with it. So yes, Netflix now owns those. (Again, once the deal is complete)

Once contracts with other streaming services expire, Netflix will probably want LOTR on their own platform. It’s the Arkenstone, and Netflix likes shiny things.

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The good folks at Mondo (who have history with regard to creating beautiful Tolkien related posters) are releasing a trilogy of posters featuring stunning art by painter and illustrator Riccardo Federici. Here at TORn we’re thrilled to have the exclusive reveal of one of them! Behold – The Fellowship of the Ring poster:

The poster show Sauron in full armour, his cloak sweeping around his shoulders and his left arm raised behind him, about to bring his enormous mace down on Isildur, who crouches, left arm raised in defence, in front of him. In his right hand, Isildur grasps the hilt of the broken Narsil - he is ready to strike on the right hand of Sauron, where we see the Ring gleaming. — ‘It was in this moment, when all hope had faded, that Isildur, son of the king, took up his father’s sword.’

This dynamic image shows Sauron – as we know him from Peter Jackson’s films – bearing down on Isildur, who grasps the hilt of Narsil.

The poster is part of a set – one each for Fellowship, The Two Towers (featuring Treebeard), and The Return of the King (featuring the Witch-king). They’ll all be available for a limited time, individually or as a set – and there is also a limited edition Variant set, showing Federici’s tight pencils of all three posters.

Image shows all three of the posters, with The Fellowship of the Ring poster in the front. The Two Towers poster is partially visible behind, in shades of green, while the blue shaded The Return of the King poster is at the rear. — Set of three posters

All three posters are seen in the variant version - tight pencil sketches by the artist. The image showing Treebeard raising a large stone above his head, with Orthanc in the background, is the central focus. — Set of three posters

All of the posters will be available for pre-order next week, from December 10th (11am CT) through December 19th (11am CT) only – pre-order yours here! Posters will retail for $95 each, $270 for the set, with the variant pencil sketch set going for $300. Treat yourself – ’tis the season…

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