The publicly traded corporation is taking on a new name inspired by its prized subsidiary Middle-earth Enterprises.
In a recent new press release, Embracer Group has announced its intention to rename the company Fellowship Entertainment as part of a long-term overhaul of its business.
Is LOTR now a stock?
The short answer is no. Its not a memecoin or NFT either. The LOTR and Hobbit rights that J.R.R. Tolkien originally sold in 1968, long held by Saul Zaentz, are still together under Middle-earth Enterprises (MEE). MEE, in turn, has licensed out movie rights to Warner Bros, as well as rights to dozens of other licensees to produce LOTR products such as playing cards and baby carriers. Embracer Group A.B., a publicly traded Swedish corporation, bought Middle Earth Enterprises around the same time it also bought EIDOS Interactive (makers of Tomb Raider games) and Dark Horse Comics. Each of these businesses are still managed independently. Kind of like how Alphabet owns Google, Waymo, Android… or how Disney owns Marvel, Lucasfilm, Pixar, etc.
So, is LOTR in charge?
Well, no. Fellowship Entertainment is a corporate name inspired by Tolkien, and there’s probably some trademarks that the subsidiary Middle-earth Enterprises owns which allows use. Middle-earth is not taking over a $20 billion gaming conglomerate. It’s obvious though who that company sees as its most prized division.
How big is Fellowship Entertainment?
According to the press release from Embracer Group:
Fellowship Entertainment will be uniting top creators and intellectual properties, fostering creativity to build unforgettable experiences for the fans. The strategy is to transform into one powerhouse group with game development and publishing at its core, complemented with transmedia capabilities within IP licensing, comics, merchandise, film and distribution. In total, Fellowship Entertainment will have approximately 6,000 employees across more than 30 countries.
The parent holding entity, called Fellowship Entertainment, will consist of over 40 companies (again, think like Disney owning Lucasfilm and Pixar), including Crystal Dynamics, Dark Horse, Deca Games, Eidos-Montréal, Limited Run Games, Middle-earth Enterprises, THQ Nordic, Tripwire Interactive, Vertigo Games, and Warhorse Studios. Read the full press release below.
