The Swedish holding company continues to expand in the field of video games, entertainment and culture.
Embracer Group continues to expand its properties not only in the field of video games, but also in entertainment and culture in general. The Swedish holding company has announced the agreement to fully acquire Middle-Earth Enterprises to The Saul Zaentz Company. Is about a purchase that goes far beyond the world of video games.
Middle-Earth Enterprises is the entity in charge of managing the rights of movies, video games, merchandising, theme parks and other items related to JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit novels, and other Middle-earth-related literary works authorized by the Tolkien Estate and Harper Collins.
One holding company to rule them all
“I am truly excited that The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, one of the world’s most epic fantasy franchises, are joining the Embracer family, opening more transmedia opportunitiesincluding synergies across our global group,” Embracer Group CEO and founder Lars Wingefors said in a release. “I am excited to see what the future holds for this IP with Freemode and Asmodee (operating groups within Embracer) as a start within the group. In the future, we also hope collaborate with new and existing third-party licensees of our increasingly strong intellectual property portfolio.”
“At Zaentz Company we have had the honor for the last half century managing the Tolkien rights so that The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit fans around the world can enjoy award-winning epic films, challenging video games, world-class theater and merchandise of all kinds,” said Marty Glick, director of operations of The Saul Zaentz Company. “We could not be more excited that Embracer is now taking on the responsibility and we are confident that his group will take it to new heights and dimensions while maintaining the homage to the spirit of these great literary works”.
The thing does not end there, because as is usual with the Embracer Group, it has also recently acquired the ownership of several development studios such as Tripwire Interactive, Limited Run Games or Tuxedo Labs, among others. This same year he also took over Square Enix’s western studios and IPS, including Crystal Dynamics and Eidos Montreal together with games like Tomb Raider Deus Ex, Thief or Legacy of Kain.