Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Amazon's 'Lord of the Rings' TV Series Will Be the Most Expensive Ever Made

Amazon's 'Lord of the Rings' TV Series Will Be the Most Expensive Ever Made
New Line/Getty Images

Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy brought in around three billion dollars worldwide, and in this era of Hollywood sequels and reboots, the franchise is begging to be revived.


After a battle with Netflix, Amazon won the adaption rights to J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved fantasy series. The streaming service reportedly paid $250 million for a deal that guarantees a five-season television adaption of The Lord of the Rings. Estimates indicate the series will cost Amazon around $1 billion, making it "the most expensive TV show ever," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The details of Amazon's deal are fascinating... and a bit strange.

For instance, former heads of New Line Cinema were brought in ensure Amazon would have access to "material" from the Jackson movies. Does that mean the new TV show will feature clips of Elijah Wood as Frodo?

Nobody knows.

And Amazon isn't buying the rights just to keep them from Netflix.

The complicated contract stipulates that this new show must enter production within two years or the rights will revert back to Tolkien's heirs.

Twitter users' reactions spanned the spectrum of excitement.

Negotiations were extremely complex, but attorney Matt Galsor, who helped guide the deal, commented that it was a largely pleasant experience:

This is the most complicated deal I've ever seen, but it was handled relatively quickly, in a way that brought the parties together in a close relationship. It was tough, but everybody liked each other and felt like a team more as the deal closed.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos may be searching for the next 'Game of Thrones,' but Twitter has mixed feelings.​

Well, we can always hope...

According to The Hollywood Reporter:

The Tolkien book rights have a long and complicated history. Since the author originally sold rights to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings to United Artists in 1969, they have at points passed through the hands of MGM, producer Saul Zaentz and Miramax before New Line released Peter Jackson's six mega-hit adaptations, starting in 2001. Those films have earned $5.85 billion worldwide at the box office, underscoring the property's enduring popularity.

H/T - Twitter, The Hollywood Reporter

More from Trending

Nicholas Galitzine He-Man in 'Masters of the Universe'
Amazon MGM Studios

Conservatives Are Melting Down Over 'He-Man' Movie Joke About Pronouns—And They Missed The Point Entirely

Conservatives have basically two cherished hobbies: caterwauling about trans people and missing the point of every joke. And with the release of the trailer for the new He-Man movie, they got to do both in one go!

Nicholas Galitzine stars as the titular super hero in the upcoming film adaptation Masters of the Universe, and given our times, it's only natural the film would make a joke about pronouns.

Keep Reading Show less
Katie Miller
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Katie Miller Gets Blunt History Lesson After Throwing Tantrum Over Basic Tenet Of American Democracy

Katie Miller, wife of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump's Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security advisor, betrayed her ignorance of history and political science while trying to mock someone else on X.

Katie Waldman Miller, a bit player since Trump's first administration when she worked for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Vice President Mike Pence as a press secretary and who left the second Trump administration to work for Elon Musk, now hosts a podcast The Guardian called "an aggressively vibeless curriculum for the Maga mom."

Keep Reading Show less
film clacker with popcorn
GR Stocks on Unsplash

Details People Saw In Movies That They Called BS On Because Of Their Job

Movies are designed to entertain us. As such, they often take creative license with reality.

After all, reality can be less than cinematic.

Keep Reading Show less
Marjorie Taylor Greene§
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Even MTG Is Demanding That MAGA Admit The Killing Of Alex Pretti Was Completely Unjustified

Former Georgia Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene continues to speak out against the MAGA movement that brought her to national prominence, this time calling on Republicans to condemn the killing of Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis.

Calls for an investigation have intensified from across the political spectrum after analysis of multiple videos showed ICE officers removing a handgun from Pretti—a weapon that authorities said Pretti was permitted to carry but was not handling at the time—before fatally shooting him.

Keep Reading Show less
Chris Madel
@CWMadel/X

Minnesota Republican Condemns His Party In Powerful Video Announcing He's Dropping Out Of Gubernatorial Race

In a post across his social media, one of the Republican frontrunners for governor of Minnesota announced he would be ending his campaign due to the GOP's actions in his state.

In an almost 11-minute video, trial attorney Chris Madel condemned the administration of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee in the wake of what he characterized as retaliatory actions by the Trump administration, Kristi Noem's Department of Homeland Security, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minnesota that resulted in the recent murders of two United States citizens—Renée Good and Alex Pretti.

Keep Reading Show less