Jeff Bezos's ambitious project, The Rings of Power, has officially become the most expensive television series in history, with its total production cost now exceeding £1 billion. The latest accounts reveal that the third season of the adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's novels, which premiered on Amazon Prime, has driven the cumulative spending on the show to this landmark figure.
The series, a significant undertaking for Amazon as it challenges Hollywood's established order, has shifted its production base. While the first season was filmed in New Zealand, the subsequent seasons, including the second and third, have been produced at Amazon's Bray Studios in Berkshire and Shepperton Studios, utilizing the English countryside to portray Middle-earth.
As of June 30, 2025, expenditures on the second and third seasons alone reached £598 million. Filming for the third season concluded in October of the previous year, indicating that the final cost will likely be even higher. These costs are reported to be in line with the agreed budget.
The production has also provided a substantial boost to the local economy, with an estimated £125 million in taxpayer-funded incentives believed to be the largest such payment since the UK's film incentive program began in 2007. This investment is expected to justify the use of public funds by supporting local services and infrastructure.