focusing

When reports first surfaced back in early-2018 that Amazon’s untitled The Lord of the Rings television series bore a budget upwards of $1 billion, the entertainment industry and its fans did a collective double-take. Remember, this was two whole years before pandemic-era logistics—and heavy-hitting newcomers like Disney+ and HBO Max—elevated the status of streaming platforms from luxury to essential, and seemed like muscle-flexing by the retail giant to instill fear into the Netflixes and Hulus of the world. While the show’s price tag remains surreal to this day, Amazon Studios’ boss is reaffirming the wisdom of the decision. Amazon Studios…