Last year it was announced that Amazon will be developing a fantasy series based upon J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic The Lord of the Rings, and now comes a report that the streaming service will be investing around half a billion dollars to bring Middle-earth to the small screen.
Amazon reportedly spent $250 million to secure the rights from the Tolkien Estate, New Line and HarperCollins, and will be investing a further $250 million to produce two seasons of the show – said to be a prequel taking place before the War of the Ring.
For comparison, Peter Jackson spent around $280 million to produce The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and Return of the King, released between 2001 and 2003.
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If these numbers are close to accurate, it could make The Lord of the Rings the most expensive TV series of all time – a record currently held by Netflix’s The Crown, which cost a reported $130 million for its first season.
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