How “The Rings of Power” became the most expensive series in history

“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” the “Lord of the Rings” prequel series, will debut next week on Prime Video, but Amazon has had a long way to go between wanting to have a great franchise to call its own. his, and the production of the most expensive series in history.

“The Rings of Power” has this status due to the millionaire budget of its eight-episode first season and the acquisition of the rights, which amount to approximately $ 715 million in all.

But before Amazon could spend on producing the series, Amazon had to earn the right to make it. In 2017, the rights holders of author JRR Tolkien’s work, along with the executives of Warner Bros., tried to sell the television rights to “The Lord of the Rings”, Tolkien’s most famous book that had already been successful. in theaters with an acclaimed and award-winning trilogy.

Warner Bros. sought to receive a large sum of money for the television rights of a work that was discontinued, while Tolkien’s rights holders sought, in addition to money, to expand the author’s work to a new generation. .

The opportunity attracted giant Amazon, owned by openly “Lord of the Rings” fan Jeff Bezos, who was looking to bolster and expand his Prime Video stream catalog, as well as attract a new wave of subscribers.

But Amazon wasn’t the only one interested in acquiring the rights to “The Lord of the Rings” and gaining access to a giant fan base hungry for more content from the vast universe of Middle-earth. According to The Wall Street newspaperTed Sarandos of Netflix and HBO have also shown great interest in expanding this universe into their streams.

But while the group that was trying to sell the television rights to the work expected to receive offers ranging between $ 50 million and $ 75 million, Amazon offered about $ 250 million for the right to have its own Prime-related franchise. the Rings: The rings of power ”.

Additionally, Jeff Bezos himself worked with Amazon executives to prepare the presentation of the company’s idea for the series, which is rather unusual.

Between the budget for the first season and the rights deal, “Rings of Power” costs more than 5 million annual Prime memberships, or 0.15% of all Amazon’s revenue in 2021. All in all, the series should spend well over $ 1 billion on “Rings of Power,” which has several seasons already planned.

“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” takes place thousands of years before the events of the film trilogy. The most expensive series in history will have an eight-episode first season that debuts Thursday, September 1 at 10pm on Prime Video.

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Source: Olhar Digital

Emily

Emily Jhon is a product and service reviewer at Gossipify, known for her honest evaluations and thorough analysis. With a background in marketing and consumer research, she offers valuable insights to readers. She has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Marketing and Consumer Research from the University of Oxford.