Big Corporations Keep Returning to The Lord of the Rings

Amazon has canceled its The Lord of the Rings MMO, a move that some greeted with relief given Amazon Games’ recent history as the creator of New World and Crucible. Still, the company isn’t stepping away from Middle-earth: Amazon Games general manager Jeff Gattis said they are “evaluating different concepts” and that he “looked at a prototype as something pretty interesting just a couple of weeks ago.” Embracer Group, Warner Bros.

and others also continue to pursue ways to monetize the property. Tolkien’s books, meanwhile, remain richly textured works of literature: lovely and poetic, with an intricately built fantasy universe and complex characters. They explore themes such as hope, death, free will, bravery, the nature of power, history, war, environmentalism and theology, and they elevate goodness, kindness and peace; the greatest heroes are humble and small, and the world often points toward hopeful resistance and betterment.

That contrast drives concern.

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