Amazon's Bezos attends premiere for $1 bil 'Lord of the Rings' prequel

Rings Of Prime is a desecration of Tolkien's work. Shameful.

Let's hope it's worth the money for us poor subscribers.

One billion dollars to make a film. I hope profits will help the 500,000 homeless that exists “in the land of the free.” Likewise, profits to assist in the fight against overdose deaths. What a country!

The highly anticipated TV series, launching September 2 on Amazon's streaming platform, is said to be a personal obsession of Jeff Bezos, multi-billionaire founder of the online shopping giant-turned-streamer.

An adaptation of another of his obsessions, Iain Banks The Culture was canned by Amazon.

How much we would want to see it it is probable we dodged a bullet/knife missile.

Bezos is antithetical to the Culture.

What else could mankind do with 1 billion $$ ?

Disgusting amount of money spent ...yet his warehouse staff in the U.K are possibly going on strike due to a miserable 30 pence per hour pay offer.

I don't get the hate. It is an investment, not just burning money (unless it flops). Companies have to spend money to make money.

We can see now Japan is its highest mortality ever. Can you explain rationally?

No one here can explain it rationally. Even if you were to find actual medical professionals beyond this forum, there is no rational explanation---or even an explanation.

Rings Of Prime is a desecration of Tolkien's work. Shameful.

You're lucky to have watched it though

Disgusting amount of money spent ...yet his warehouse staff in the U.K are possibly going on strike due to a miserable 30 pence per hour pay offer.

Don't they have wage laws in the UK?

I wonder how much Laura Sánchez got paid...

So $1 billion to make a TV show he has, but letting a union in and paying decent wages, he does have.

We have gone backwards to the bad old days of workhouse, soup kitchens, and the robber barons!

To posters writing about homelessness issue in LA... This is why we pay TAXES - to help the needy. and less well-off.

Expedia spend $1bn on R&D alone/. Anually, Apple... well, how many of you wrote your review on your iPhone? Why heap all the problems at Bezos' feet over a movie premiere?

I don't approve of Bezos' work practices for a minute, but to tie a movie premier (a huge part of which the budget went to the Tolkein estate for the rights alone) is just nonsenssical at best.

And as for how it compares to the unfinished tales - well, there are strict conditions attached to the rights - limiting 'artistic creativity' so it shouldn't be too bad at worse....

Taxes do not pay for all the woes of society and bearly cover the essential items. The rents in LA and SF are now beyond the means of original working folks.

I think Apple, and the likes of Google and the other big tech companies in SF should be doing more to provide affordable accommodations.

Bezos could make his movie and fix the LA homeless.

Mr. Bozo and his plastic GF!! I hope she stays out of the sun, because all that plastic will definitely melt. The amount of money Amazon get it is ridiculous that this guy does not pay his employees a decent salary but spend that amount of money on a movie.

LOTR stories makes many people happy. The $1B mark isn't for "a film". The story is unclear if it is for all 50 episodes or just for 10x1 hr shows (1 season), but that's still 5 films of 2 hrs each, which is the going rate for epic films of this type.

If there wasn't a perceived market, then they'd not spend the money.

Bezos isn't CEO of Amazon anymore. Stepped down over a year ago. He's executive chairman now, which can be defined in various ways. "Supreme Leader" or "Emperor" is a clearer title.

What "decent pay is" depends on your perspective. Amazon pays above minimum wage for low-skill jobs, but those aren't anything to do with making a film or the back office workers. Very few people working in film/TV are paid well. That's the industry for this story. Film commonly uses unpaid interns. This is common industry-wide. Film extras are paid far, far, far, below minimum wage. $64 for 8 hrs; $112 for 12 hrs. Around here, a free lunch/dinner are included. The reward isn't the money, but being around and on-set. Sadly, this is similar to what election workers are paid on election day which is often a 14+ hr day for some.

Demonizing 1 person makes little sense. No one person has that control and there are other considerations, like contract mandates for any people in unions, who cannot be paid more even if they are of higher value/productivity to the company.

$1 billion would solve the LA homeless problem.

No, it would not, but it would help to a small degree nonetheless.

I was thinking the same thing Kaimycahl, especially those Lips, lol.

Probably for more of a custom fit.

kaimycahlAug. 16  09:38 pm JST

Mr. Bozo and his plastic GF!! I hope she stays out of the sun, because all that plastic will definitely melt. The amount of money Amazon get it is ridiculous that this guy does not pay his employees a decent salary but spend that amount of money on a movie.

Yeah, who IS that plastic GF on his arm? The latest gold digger? There's another word for that type of people that I won't write in this blog. And think about all the homes built, the real solid education, the medicines and distributions for vaccines for CoVid, monkeypox, etc., the hungry fed, clothing the naked, all these things and much more that could be done with all the dollars pissed away to make this bastardized unnecessary TV series. It's a tragedy.

LamillyToday  06:27 am JST

It's his money. Yes, it seems unacceptable that one man has more money than a small country but he got it fair and square, we live in a democracy, right

Another vanity project. Just like a Caligula with a $ zillion who did nothing to earn it, yet he hijacked the greatest nation on Earth, stole even more $, established a personality cult and wanted to take everything he sees. All that money stoked his sick disgusting ego and made him less than human.

So many people who have all that money yet they do nothing for others less lucky. Sad.