Amazon’s planned small screen adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings is looking to become easily the most expensive TV series ever made.
In November last year we learned Amazon Studios beat out Netflix for a $250 million rights deal with the Tolkien estate, publisher HarperCollins and New Line Cinema for them to make a TV series based on the world of Tolkien and with elements and material from ‘Rings’ in it AKA a spin-off.
Now THR has some more details about said deal, indicating that the commit includes no less than five seasons of television, as opposed to the standard one or two season orders other TV show makers hand out. With the cost of casting and production of the five seasons, the whole endeavour’s negative cost looks to be coming in at no less than $1 billion.
There’s also another factor in play – they can not hesitate. Part of the deal is that Amazon has guaranteed they’ll begin production on the series within two years. Amazon is also reportedly looking at the idea of a potential spin-off already. Filmmaker Peter Jackson isn’t involved at this point.
