Conan and The Rings of Power through The Eye of The World

Conan and The Rings of Power through The Eye of The World

Not so long ago in a reality far far away the fandom rejoiced and heralded the release of a television show, video game, or film based on their favorite IPs.

That was before the dark times, before the Empire of Woke snatched the levers of the media that control the mob, and ultimately the power of nerdom.

The water cooler success of George R.R. Martin's Ice and Fire Series and Amazon's subsequent quest to achieve similar water cooler relevancy has seen the studio acquire multiple franchise juggernauts.

The Eye of Bezos behemoth known as Amazon Prime gathered up all fantasy IPs for their assault on Mount Westeros. One by one the free franchises of pop culture fell. The dark lord’s mission to claim fantasy television series supremacy has left multiple fandoms scattered and divided. While the studio’s activist hiring practices, particularly Jennifer Salke, have helped drag Hollywood-style storytelling into shambles, a caricature of its former self.

In 2004, Jordan sold the film, television, video game, and comic rights to the Wheel of Time series to production company Red Eagle Entertainment. Red Eagle would go on to languish on the IP for nine years, before producing a 22-minute pilot for a potential Wheel of Time series starring Billy Zane.

In response to the pilot Robert Jordan's widow, Harriet McDougal issued a press release and was subsequently sued by Red Eagle for disparaging comments.

In April 2016, McDougal announced that a studio was undergoing contract negotiations for the production of a TV series.

In November 2017, Amazon announced it had acquired the global TV rights to J.R.R. Tolkien’s mega-hit book series, Lord of the Rings. The studio announced their intent to develop a multi-season series with an option for a potential spinoff show. The first two episodes of The Rings of Power premiered on September 2, 2022, and just three days later Amazon suspended reviews entirely. A move that speaks volumes about the faith the studio has in their product. Salke, when asked about the hefty price Amazon had put up for the IP, responded, “A giant, global audience needs to show up to it as appointment television, and we are pretty confident that that will happen,” she added.

Yeah, that audience is harder to find than Gollum in the Misty Mountains.

In October 2018, Amazon officially announced it had ordered the one-hour action fantasy The Wheel of Time series. The series made its appearance in the fall of 2021. And although the showrunners enjoyed Jordan's lore and the aesthetics they were not fans of the characters or societies they live in. A second season is in post-production and the showrunners have promised more episodic lore-breaking.

And finally, we come to the great Cimmerian, Conan, the last bastion of fantasy testosterone still standing. In 2015, Cabinet Holdings acquired Paradox Entertainment, owner of multiple Robert E. Howard's intellectual properties, including Legend of Conan. An Amazon Conan television series was announced in 2018 with House of the Dragon showrunner Ryan Condal attached as the showrunner. All reports indicate the writing was fresh and true to Robert E Howard’s stories.

The series lingered in production hell before Midnight’s Edge founder Andre Einherjar claimed Salke canned the show due to “toxic masculinity.” Unfortunately, this has become the norm and this pattern of male hate is lauded by the access media. CEO Fredrik Malmberg moved the series to Netflix in 2020. Hopefully, Netflix will allow Conan’s toxic testosterone to flow.

As corporations and companies destroy themselves and their Intellectual Properties from the inside out.

write to you now at the turning of the tide to tell you to…

Create your own stories. Create your own art. Create your own games.