Embracer Group has entered into an agreement to acquire the IP rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
The classic fantasy stories have spawned numerous games, films, and now a brand new show on Amazon. And now, Embracer Group has acquired the rights to the literary works created by J.R.R. Tolkien.
An official statement on Embracer’s website says that Embracer Group entered the agreement to acquire Middle-Earth enterprises through its “wholly-owned subsidiary” Freemode. Middle-Earth Enterprises owns a lot of the various properties related to The Lord of the Rings, such as films, games, merchandise and stage productions. These will now be owned by Embracer Group.
Lars Wingefors, Founder of Embracer Group, said “I am truly excited to have The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, one of the world’s most epic fantasy franchises join the Embracer family, opening up more transmedia opportunities including synergies across our global group.”
“I am thrilled to see what lies in the future for this IP with Freemode and Asmodee as a start within the group. Going forward, we also look forward to collaborating with both existing and new external licensees of our increasingly stronger IP portfolio.”
A Big Acquisition
The full amount of money this acquisition cost has not been disclosed by any parties involved. However, it’s safe to assume it’s probably a hefty sum. Lord of the Rings is one of the most well-known and iconic fantasy franchises ever, and the original books are the most influential in the genre.
The Embracer website post also mentions “exploring additional movies based on iconic characters.” These include characters such as Gandalf, Aragorn, Gollum, Galadriel, Eowyn and “other characters from the literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien.”
In addition, Embracer Group made a number of other acquisitions, which were confirmed today. These include Limited Run Games, and Tripwire Interactive – best known for Killing Floor and Maneater. Other acquisitions include Tuxedo labs, Singtrix, Tasujin, Bitware Games and Gioteck.
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Source: Embracer