Amazon's The Lord of the Rings is an epic drama set hundreds of centuries before the original trilogy and spin-offs.
With a whopping $465 million, it's going to be Amazon's biggest piece of media ever released while also being the most expensive show in television history.
And remember, this is just the first season alone.
Where Did the Money Come From?
The studio applied for certain grants that they knew would benefit themselves and those around them. The main country they worked on a deal with is New Zealand.
Minister for Economic Development, Stuart Nash, told Morning Report, "This provides the opportunity for New Zealand to strengthen its international brand, with a campaign to promote New Zealand as the 'Home of the Lord of the Rings' series, timed to coincide with the airing of the first season on international screens."
Credit: New Line Cinema
This is a side to the industry that isn't talked about much and is really interesting. All this money being put into films has to come from somewhere, right? Even though applying for grants seems like something a student or indie-level filmmaker would do, big studios utilize it all the time to secure lasting funding.
What Can We Expect?
If you were a fan of the original trilogy and surrounding films, this is shaping up to be a very exciting project to follow.
Although there have been several films about The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, we have yet to get a real deep dive into the mythology of the world of Middle-earth leading up to the stories we know and love.
With a budget of this magnitude, and a studio hungry to reach the top, this show looks to be every fantasy lover's dream.
Are you excited for the new show? Let us know in the comments.
Editor's note, April 16, 11:45 a.m.: A previous version of this story featured an incorrect headline.
Source: RNZ
