Amazon.com said Monday it acquired global TV rights to "The Lord of the Rings" and is working with Warner Bros., publisher HarperCollins and the J.R.R. Tolkien estate on a multi-season series.

Amazon offers thousands of movie and TV shows online for customers of its $99-a-year Prime service. It has produced original programs, but has yet to score a mainstream hit along the lines of shows such as HBO's "Game of Thrones."

The new series, available exclusively from Amazon, will explore story lines preceding "The Fellowship of the Ring," the first installment in the epic trilogy by Tolkien.