Netflix reportedly pitched a Marvel-inspired approach when vying for The Lord of the Rings IP, suggesting potential Gandalf and Aragorn projects.

A new article by The Hollywood Reporter examines the creation, reception, and future of The Rings of Power, revealing what Netflix had in mind for its adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. "They took the Marvel approach," said an insider with knowledge of Netflix's initial strategy. "That completely freaked out the estate." The streamer supposedly exemplified its concept by suggesting two series dedicated to Aragorn and Gandalf.

RELATED: LOTR: The Rings of Power Stars Explain the Coolest Thing About Elves

In saying "the Marvel approach," the insider seemingly implies that the streaming service wanted to make several shows following multiple characters that could cross over throughout their runs. Netflix is no stranger to fantasy shows, their most popular being The Sandman and The Witcher. The latter, which stars Henry Cavill, recently wrapped filming on its third season and is preparing to film Seasons 4 and 5 back-to-back. The Sandman, on the other hand, has still not been renewed for Season 2 due to the audience's "complicated" viewing habits.

HBO also tried to secure the rights to The Lord of the Rings IP. The network pitched the Tolkien estate on retelling Middle-Earth's "Third-Age," which was seen in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. While the estate has its complaints about Jackson's adaptations, they reportedly wanted to do something different with the source material. Despite the failed pitch, HBO is currently riding high with its new series House of the Dragon, a spinoff of the massively successful Game of Thrones.

RELATED: LOTR: The Rings of Power Promo Teases Mordor's Fiery Future

Amazon secured the rights to The Lord of the Rings, apparently not with a specific pitch,"but with a pledge of a close relationship that would give the estate a creative seat at the table so it could protect Tolkien’s legacy." From there, it created the most expensive show of all time, The Rings of Power. The Amazon series managed to beat out HBO's House of the Dragon in Nielsen SVOD charts, capturing 1.25 billion watch minutes. In comparison, House of the Dragon had a total of 781 million watch minutes. Following the success of the first season, The Rings of Power Season 2 has already started filming.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is now streaming on Prime Video. New episodes premiere every Thursday.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter