Part 2/9:
When Amazon decided to go all-in on Tolkien's universe, the stakes were astronomical. They paid a quarter of a billion dollars just to acquire the rights, and initial estimates suggested they would spend around a billion dollars on the first two seasons alone. This figure likely increased due to production issues such as extensive re-shoots and filming in multiple countries. Amazon's colossal investment underscored their expectation that the show would become a global phenomenon akin to the original films, if not more successful.