Topline
At the U.K. premiere on Tuesday of Amazon Prime Video’s new series The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos thanked showrunners Patrick McKay and John D. Payne for ignoring his input “at exactly the right times.”
Jeff Bezos attends “The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power” World Premiere at Leicester Square in … [+]
Key Facts
Amazon announced in 2017 it had partnered with J.R.R. Tolkien’s estate for a multi-season Lord Of The Rings series, and it was reported the company paid roughly $250 million for the rights to the story.
Bezos was said to be personally involved in the negotiations for the rights, Variety reported at the time.
The first season of the show, which is eight episodes long, cost $465 million to make, the Hollywood Reporter reported last year, and Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke said in May the budget went to “building the infrastructure of what will sustain the whole series.”
At Tuesday’s premiere, Bezos joked that it’s “every showrunner’s dream…to get notes on scripts and early cuts from the founder and executive chairman.”
Bezos, a lifelong Tolkien fan, said one of his sons warned him to “please don’t eff this up.”
The billionaire defended choosing relatively unknown showrunners to helm the series, calling it “one of the best decisions we made.”
What To Watch For
The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power premieres on Amazon Prime Video on Friday.
Key Background
The Rings Of Power takes place in Middle-earth thousands of years before The Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit. The LOTR trilogy cost roughly $285 million to make, and the Hobbit trilogy cost a reported $623 million.
Tangent
The Rings Of Power is directly competing with HBO’s House of The Dragon, another fantasy prequel to the Game Of Thrones series. HOTD premiered last week, and is already breaking audience records for HBO and HBO Max.
Forbes Valuation
$152.9 billion. That’s Bezos’ estimated net worth, according to Forbes, making him the No. 3 richest person in the world on Wednesday.
Further Reading
‘The Rings Of Power’ Review: A Breathtaking Return To Middle-earth And ‘The Lord Of The Rings’ (Forbes)
‘House Of The Dragon’ Episode 2 Viewership Was Even Higher Than Record-Breaking Premiere (Forbes)