The Lord of the Rings has been in the headlines once again, as Variety has reported on a rumour about a new TV series based on the popular books written by J.R.R. Tolkien. According to alleged sources, Warner Bros. Television and the Tolkien estate have even started talks with Netflix, HBO, and Amazon about the series.
Jeff Bezos' Amazon is perhaps in a better position for this project that's said to be in early stages, and the founder would be involved directly in negotiations since his video platform is undertaking a big transition from niche series to large-scale programs.
If this ever happens, however, it won't be an easy or cheap undertaking, as Deadline sources add that everything starts with "an upfront rights payment said to be in the $200 - $250 million range", and the production expenses for a fantasy world of this scale is being estimated at between $100-$150 million a season by the magazine. Initial license payments apparently removed HBO from negotiations as well, so it remains to be seen if the other companies invest.
The Lord of the Ring series sure would bring Amazon Prime Video thousands of subscribers, but Peter Jackson's films set the bar very high and there's always a risk of failure. Could it do well though?