Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power already faces the dilemma that the original fans of the film series do not like the show too much. They think it goes against J.R.R. Tolkien's original story, changes in how characters are written, dialogue quality, and the lack of Middle-earth's essence.On top of that, the show is now experiencing an even bigger problem and its fate is still unclear since Netflix is aiming to buy Warner Bros. The series is being streamed on Prime Video, but Warner Bros. is a key player in its production through its studio New Line Cinema. The future of The Rings of Power is thus unknown, with Netflix getting closer to acquiring Warner Bros.The Rings of Power and the potential impact of the Netflix–Warner bros. takeoverThe Rings of Power Season 3 has completed filming, and will be released hopefully by the end of 2026. Despite this, there is uncertainty regarding what will happen to the show if Netflix’s proposed purchase of Warner Bros. Entertainment goes through. In case the acquisition happens, Netflix would acquire the rights to Warner Bros.'s studios, intellectual property, and complete film catalogue. This would entail New Line Cinema, the company that produced The Lord of the Rings films and produces the series The Rings of Power with Amazon MGM Studios. View this post on Instagram Instagram PostMoreover, Warner Bros. will re-release The Lord of the Rings film trilogy in theatres in January 2026. This might lead to another round of drawing parallels between the films and series. Since Warner Bros. owns the movie series, this comparison would further highlight where the franchise’s real power lies, and many fans would expect the show to capture the true essence of Tolkien's source material better. But if Netflix takes over the studios, it is unknown how that would affect the show's production.The concern becomes even bigger considering that The Rings of Power, the animated film The War of the Rohirrim, and the original trilogy all come from the same Warner Bros. subsidiary. If Netflix takes ownership, it would also inherit Warner Bros. Animation and other related studios, as noted in the acquisition analysis. Warner Bros. currently holds the movie rights to The Lord of the Rings and renewed it in February 2023. This deal covers upcoming films such as The Hunt for Gollum, planned for release in late 2026, along with another future adaptation. If Netflix acquires Warner Bros., it would have full control of this movie licensing agreement.However, television rights are a different matter. As is widely known, Amazon secured long-form TV rights directly from the Tolkien estate in 2017, agreeing to produce a five-season series. Two seasons of The Rings of Power have already been released, the third has been filmed, and two more are left to be made under Amazon’s current deal. The challenge for Amazon lies in its reliance on New Line Cinema. New Line gives the show its visual and tonal link to the films. If Netflix becomes New Line’s owner, it could decide to remove the studio from the project or control how the show is made. Besides, once Amazon's five-season deal is over, anyone, including Netflix, can take over the show and then have full control.Such a move would not cancel The Rings of Power immediately, but it could seriously weaken the final seasons. Losing New Line’s involvement could reduce the production quality and long-term planning. Netflix already has a history of streaming the Lord of the Rings films in some regions. With control over Warner Bros., Netflix would likely aim to bring more of the franchise under its own banner. This would put Amazon Prime Video, one of Netflix’s biggest rivals, in a difficult position.For now, The Rings of Power is in safe hands due to Amazon’s existing agreement. Yet if the Warner Bros. acquisition moves forward, Netflix’s influence could reshape the future of the franchise, leaving the long-term fate of the show uncertain.The Rings of Power is streaming on Prime Video.For more articles like this, follow Soap Central.