Video: Is Amazon’s Lord of the Rings show “the next Game of Thrones,” and what does that even mean?

Here at Winter is Coming, we’re big Game of Thrones fans. Obviously. But we’re also big fans of fantasy in general, so when we heard that Amazon was making a show based on The Lord of the Rings, we were curious. After all, Rings is a huge influence on A Song of Ice and Fire — indeed, it’s a big influence on pretty much any fantasy series written after the 1950s. Will Amazon be able to pull it off?

And where does Game of Thrones fit into this conversation? A Song of Ice and Fire wouldn’t exist with The Lords of the Rings, but given how Game of Thrones has brought mass attention to the fantasy genre, we doubt Amazon would want to adapt J.R.R. Tolkien’s landmark series at all if Thrones hadn’t paved the way. Then there are the marching orders Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos gave to his video division a couple months back. Essentially, he told them to bring him the next Game of Thrones.

But what does it mean to have “the next Game of Thrones?” Is such a thing even possible? Can a hit the size of Thrones be duplicated on purpose, and do we even want it to be? Is Amazon doing this for the right reasons, and will that stop us from watching their show when it debuts?

These are some of the questions Culturess editor Cheryl Wassenaar and I tackle in the video above. What do you guys make of all this? The conversation is ongoing.

Actually, not only is it ongoing, but it’s developing faster than we can report it. After we shot that video, new bits of information surfaced:

• The Hollywood Reporter has it that Amazon has already committed to making five seasons of the show, with an option for a potential spinoff. All told, the total price tag could come to $1 billion…billion with a ‘b.’ That is absolutely nuts, and makes you wistful for the days when Game of Thrones was a relatively small show on HBO that was allowed to find a fan base slowly, over time.
• According to TheOneRing, Christopher Tolkien — the youngest son of J.R.R. Tolkien and his literary heir — has resigned as head of the Tolkien Estate. During his long tenure, Christopher Tolkien was reluctant to approve adaptations of his father’s work for the screen. (J.R.R. Tolkien sold the movie rights himself back in 1969, which is how the Peter Jackson films happened.) Make no mistake: it’s no coincidence that the Amazon deal happened as Christopher was on his way out. His successors may be less averse to adapting J.R.R. Tolkien’s writing.

Opinions are welcome. I still don’t really know how to feel about all of this.

Next: Jason Momoa explains why he was hanging with the Game of Thrones cast, and other season 8 rumblings

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