One of my favorite things about Hollywood is how they consistently learn the wrong lesson from the success of a movie or television show. When the proverbial curtain closed on Game of Thrones, we all knew it was only a matter of time until some other studio or network decided to green light a Thrones clone. Instead of recognizing that Game of Thrones' strength and success came from sharp writing and a series of unexpected deaths that helped buttress a perpetual sense of unpredictability, networks assumed that people suddenly became obsessed with the medieval fantasy genre. Call me crazy, but I like to think that people respond to quality execution more than genre gimmicks.
In any event, Amazon Prime Video clearly thought that they should create their own Thrones clone while the iron was still hot. Except their genius plan was to make a show based on the series from which Game of Thrones derives a majority of its narrative DNA. Hence, the Lord of the Rings series Prime Video dubbed The Rings of Power.
When information about The Rings of Power's preproduction budget hit the internet, my jaw dropped. Clocking in a whopping $1 billion, it was clear that Amazon was pulling out "Money Bag" Bezoz's wallet like there was no tomorrow. In the video linked above, you can practically see where every single red cent was spent in the immersive teaser for The Rings of Power.
