Amazon Studios, Warner Bros. Planning Lord Of The Rings TV Series

Amazon Studios CEO Jeff Bezos is apparently in talks with the Tolkien estate as well as Warner Bros. TV to house a Lord of the Rings TV series.

No, seriously — this is not a joke. Variety just broke the exclusive news they claim to have sources on, stating things are still in the “early stages”, with “no deal set yet.”

Long rumored to be in development (usually as an April Fool’s Day story run about the Silmarillion), WB has apparently been looking for a home for a LoTR series. It stands to reason that the large TV options like Netflix and HBO were courted, but it seems like the competitive situation has Amazon as the frontrunner.

There has been no official denial of this project from Amazon, Warner Bros., or the Tolkien Estate. But there also hasn’t been a confirmation, either.

After the three Peter Jackson LoTR prequel The Hobbit films (with extended cuts, because of course there are), is the world really ready for another trip to Middle Earth? There’s no telling where the story might take place in the rich history of the high-fantasy world Tolkien created.

Fox Searchlight is currently filming their Tolkien biopic starring Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road, X-Men: First Class) as the author of one of the most enduring fantasy worlds. And who could forget that time a few years ago where there were no less than three planned films about J.R.R. and his life? This proposed TV series is apparently none of those, though.

We’ll keep you updated as any more information about this project surfaces.