Amazon buys up Middle-earth, it searches the One Ring! (Rings of Power news thread)
Warner Bros. Television and the estate of J.R.R. Tolkien are in talks with Amazon Studios to develop a series based on the late author’s “The Lord of the Rings” novels. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is said by sources with knowledge of the situation to be personally involved in the negotiations, which are still in very early stages. No deal has been set.
They've said this before, and it sounds like bollocks.
It could be that Howe, being a conceptual designer, was only required during preproduction, and TheOneRing.net guys misconstrue this as him having been only imployed for the sake of the map/"meet our Fellowship" video. Certainly, this seems to be very much in the Howe style:
Wouldn't be the first time TORN is way off of the mark.