(via ign.com)  A TV series based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings novels is officially moving forward at Amazon.

According to Variety, Amazon has given the series a multi-season commitment in a deal with Warner Bros. TV and the Tolkien estate, after reports surfaced earlier this month. The series will be set in Middle Earth and serve as a prequel of sorts. It will take place sometime before the events of the first novel, The Fellowship of the Ring, and will feature new storylines.

Amazon’s deal with Warner Bros. TV and the Tolkien estate also includes a potential spin-off series.