Lord Of The Rings: Rings Of Power Is Not TV But A "New Form" Of Entertainment, Director Says

Amazon's The Lord of the Rings TV show, The Rings of Power, reportedly carries one of the biggest budgets in the history of any TV production. Now, some of the key creatives working on the project have spoken about the budget and how they believe it's actually a bargain for what's being produced. Not only that, but one of its directors believes The Rings of Power isn't even a TV show, but it's instead something new for the entertainment world.

Showrunner JD Payne told Empire that people should "keep the budget in context," adding that The Rings of Power Season 1 is actually more akin to an eight-hour movie.

"This is the length of three Marvel films, done on the schedule of two, for the budget of one. Look at it in the context of what's actually being produced and you could say that it's a bargain," Payne said.

Amazon is said to have spent $250 million on the rights alone, along with $465 million to produce Season 1. Amazon's Jennifer Salke said the massive fee makes for a good headline for people to latch onto, but she reminded people that this money is being spent to "sustain the whole series."

Director J.A. Bayona is quoted in the piece, too, saying The Rings of Power should not even be thought of as a TV show because it's breaking new ground in the entertainment space. "The Rings of Power is not television. It's a new form we're creating here," Bayona said.

The Rings of Power's other showrunner, Patrick McKay, said the five seasons of The Rings of Power represent a 50-hour movie. All five seasons are already mapped out, and they already know what the final shot will be.

"We didn't want to do the TV version of The Lord of the Rings. We wanted to do a story in Middle-earth that deserves its own space on the shelf, alongside the novels and the films," McKay said.

Payne added, "We had to ensure we were bringing something fresh to it and expanding the map. We weren't interested in a sequel or prequel or a rehash or nostalgia. It had to stand on its own two feet as something that felt faithful--but also its own thing."

The Rings of Power Season 1 premieres September 2 on Prime Video. It is not the only Lord of the Rings project currently in the works, as a new animated film, The War of the Rohirrim, releases in 2024. Additionally, the video game The Lord of the Rings: Gollum releases on September 1.