Lord of the Rings star Benjamin Walker supports the Amazon series' colossal budget. Originally coming from the stage, Walker has also made it onto both the small and the big silver screens. He is best known for starring as Erik Golden in Netflix's Jessica Jones and Abraham Lincoln in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. While it has been confirmed that he will be starring in the fantasy adventure show Lord of the Rings, the character that he will be playing has yet to be announced.
The original novel by J. R. R. Tolkien has spawned a wide array of media across various mediums. The rights for a television show were purchased by Amazon nearly four years ago with a five-season engagement set. Lord of the Rings brings viewers back many years before J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, although plot details beyond that are being kept tightly under wraps. The first season is still filming in New Zealand after a delay in production due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Newcomers Patrick McKay and John D. Payne are on board as the showrunners. It has previously been announced that with a budget of $465 million for the first season, this epic drama will be one of the most expensive shows of all time.
In an interview with Collider, Walker said that a massive budget is necessary. He expanded on the epic nature of the project and how important it is to do it correctly. Walker explained the level of commitment to doing the material justice. Check out his statement below regarding the budget:
"There is a lot of talk about the money, but I kind of feel like that's what you need to do it right. It's like if you found someone you're in love with you and want to buy them a ring, you gotta do the best you can to show that you're committed to it, and it's not unlike that. This is not a legendarium that you want to skimp on."
The total series cost for Lord of the Rings is almost $1 billion, which would make it the most expensive television show ever made. That is a considerable amount of money, although it is not the first time that a tremendous amount of money has been spent on a show that shocked the industry and the public. Marvel has been investing $25 million an episode to ensure that the quality between the films and the Disney+ shows is seamless. HBO spent $20 million per episode on The Pacific, while the same premium cable network spent $15 million an episode for the final season of Game of Thrones.
With how advanced technology has become and how the lines have blurred between television and film, it should not be a big surprise that the price tag would be heavy. Eventually, another show will overtake the upcoming Lord of the Rings series. However, this does place very high expectations on the show to be extraordinary. Amazon has faith that the show will do exceptionally well and will increase memberships for their service. It would be a real disappointment if the quality of the storytelling were to suffer after spending such a massive amount of money.
Source: Collider