Amazon's Lord of the Rings series will reportedly cost $465 million just for Season 1

The Hollywood Reporter

The Amazon J.R.R. Tolkien fantasy series is set to become the most expensive TV show of all time at a cost of $465 million for only for its season. "That's far above previous reported estimates that pegged the fantasy drama as costing an already record-breaking $500 million for multiple seasons of the show," reports The Hollywood Reporter's James Hibberd. The figure was revealed by the New Zealand government’s Official Information Act and originally reported by the New Zealand outlet Stuff. The documents also confirm that Amazon plans for five seasons, plus potential spinoff series. When Game of Thrones premiered 10 years ago this weekend, its roughly $100 million cost per season was record-breaking. As Hibberd notes, Amazon's costs will also trigger a controversial New Zealand tax rebate worth $114 million. "It’s worth pointing out that the budget for subsequent seasons of LOTR could be far less than the season one number," he adds. "There are considerable start-up costs when building a new fantasy world – such as sets, costumes and props – that will presumably be used throughout the series."