Game of Thrones v Lord of the Rings: a tale of old vs new Hollywood

The near-simultaneous releases of the two series will make for an epic ratings battle. (Image: Warner Bros Discovery, Amazon Prime Video)

The Economist

Sat, 27 Aug 2022

Half a billion dollars’ worth of swordplay, sorcery and sex is on its way to a small screen near you.On Aug 21, Warner Bros Discovery launched House of the Dragon, a spinoff of its racy smash hit, Game of Thrones, made at a reported cost of more than US$150 million ($252m).Hot on its heels on September 1, Amazon Prime Video will release The Rings of Power, a more chaste but even pricier drama based on the Lord of the Rings books. With a rumoured price tag of US$465m, Amazon’s offering will be the most expensive piece of television e...

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