Yesterday, we reported that Peter Jackson was definitely in no way involved in the “Lord of the Rings” TV series at Amazon. After rumors of the filmmaker being involved in some capacity, Jackson was quoted as saying he was actually not going to be involved. Well, now reports say that the filmmaker might be involved behind the scenes. Or not. Depends on who you believe.
According to IGN Germany, Jackson is quoted as saying that while he’s not going to be involved in the day-to-day running of the series, he will help Amazon choose the creative team. Many have speculated that means WETA will obviously be involved with the effects, and perhaps some of the crew from “The Hobbit” trilogy, as well. Jackson is also quoted as saying that he had a phone conversation with Amazon a year ago about the series, and he says they’re doing “the right thing” with the show.
However, there’s also a report from Digital Spy that contradicts everything in that quote. Kind of. They report that they asked Jackson’s agent about the rumors of his behind-the-scenes involvement with the “Lord of the Rings” series. Digital Spy says, “They told us that the director is not involved in Amazon’s project at this time.”
Now, the “at this time” portion of that quote seems to be the important portion of the statement. Either IGN created a quote out of thin air, or perhaps Jackson was talking about an arrangement that isn’t fully official yet.
Even with the conflicting reports, it does sound like Amazon had conversations with Jackson about the series. Obviously, the streaming company wants to ensure it gets “Lord of the Rings” right. Reports speculate that Amazon is on the hook for up to $1 billion for the series, including purchasing the rights and guaranteeing a five-year run.
It sounds like we’ll just have to wait for an official word from the tech company about the creative teams involved before we know for certain whether or not Peter Jackson’s name will be mentioned.