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Amazon to adapt ‘The Lord of the Rings’ for television with a multi-season commitment

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In what is rumored to be a major $250 million deal, Amazon has acquired the global television rights to The Lord of the Rings, based on the beloved fantasy novels by J.R.R. Tolkien, with a multi-season commitment, the company announced Monday.

According to a press release issued by Amazon, the upcoming television adaptation will, of course, be set in Middle Earth and explores new storylines preceding The Fellowship of the Ring. And, as if that weren’t enough, the deal is also said to include a potential additional spin-off series.

“The Lord of the Rings is a cultural phenomenon that has captured the imagination of generations of fans through literature and the big screen,” said Sharon Tal Yguado, head of scripted series at Amazon Studios. “We are honored to be working with the Tolkien Estate and Trust, HarperCollins and New Line on this exciting collaboration for television and are thrilled to be taking The Lord of the Rings fans on a new epic journey in Middle Earth.”

Amazon Studios is producing the new series in cooperation with the Tolkien Estate and Trust, HarperCollins, and New Line Cinema.

“We are delighted that Amazon, with its longstanding commitment to literature, is the home of the first-ever multi-season television series for The Lord of the Rings,” said Matt Galsor, a representative for the Tolkien Estate and Trust and HarperCollins. “Sharon and the team at Amazon Studios have exceptional ideas to bring to the screen previously unexplored stories based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s original writings.”

The series will be an Amazon Prime Original and, therefore, will be available for Prime members to stream at no additional cost to their membership.

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A petition has been launched to get Kevin James to replace Kevin Spacey on ‘House of Cards’

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In the wake of Netflix’s decision to suspend production on the upcoming sixth and final season of House of Cards due to the multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against actor Kevin Spacey, a petition, which is to be delivered to Netflix CEO and co-founder Reed Hastings, calls for Spacey to be replaced by King of Queens actor Kevin James.

“Losing a great show is hard, no matter the circumstances. However, with hardship, comes the opportunity for a great show to become one of the greatest television shows of all time,” the change.org petition reads. “I think Kevin James can elevate House of Cards to a globally adored franchise like Game of Thrones and make the entire world focus on one of the most important Netflix original series there is.”

The petition, which was created by a user named Robbie Pyrma, has garnered more than 29,000 signatures over the past few days and needs just 6,000 more to reach its 35,000 goal. One of the top comments on the petition reads: “Kevin James is a national treasure. Kevin Spacey is a rapist. Both are named Kevin. Seems like a smart business decision to me.”

Netflix has not commented on the petition, though it has been widely speculated that Robin Wright’s character Claire Underwood could take over as the show’s lead. We’ll keep you posted on any further developments.

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A reboot of ‘The Twilight Zone’ is coming to CBS All Access from Jordan Peele

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During a conference call with investors on Thursday, CBS Corp. CEO Leslie Moonves announced that the network is planning to launch a new version of The Twilight Zone that will be aired exclusively on CBS All Access, the company’s newly launched streaming service, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

While CBS All Acess declined to comment on specific details, sources tell THR that The Twilight Zone will be executive produced by Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions while Marc Ramirez will serve as a writer and showrunner.

The original Twilight Zone series was created by Rod Serling in 1959 and ran for five seasons until 1964, ending with 156 episodes. The show featured actors such as Dennis Hopper, Leonard Nimoy, Robert Redford, and William Shatner.

If the show is indeed being produced by Peele, it will be just another step in the right direction for the former Key & Peele actor who made his directorial debut with the horror-thriller Get Out earlier this year, which received widespread acclaim from both critics and audiences alike.

CBS All Access has not announced when we can expect to see The Twilight Zone debut on their platform.

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Netflix and Lyft team up to bring you the ultimate ‘Stranger Things’ experience

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With season two of Stranger Things set to premiere on Netflix this Friday, popular rideshare app Lyft has teamed up with the streaming service to bring the Upside Down to riders in Los Angeles and Philadelphia on October 27 and 28 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time.

According to a press release issued by Lyft on Wednesday, all riders have to do is simply open the app, tap to request in “Strange Mode,” and wait to be teleported to the world of Hawkins, Indiana. Be warned, though: this definitely isn’t your average Lyft ride.

The latest season of Stranger Things takes place in 1984 and finds the citizens of Hawkins still reeling from the horrors of the Demogorgon and the secrets of Hawkins Lab. Though Will Byers has been rescued from the Upside Down, a bigger, more sinister entity still threatens those who survived.

Created by the Duffer Brothers, the Emmy Award-winning series stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Natalia Dyer, Charlie Modine, Noah Schnapp, Safdie Sink, Joe Keery, and Dacre Montgomery.

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