Streaming services like Amazon and Netflix are in a constant battle to produce content that will become the next Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad or The Walking Dead. The only problem with this media race is that these types of projects cost a shitload of money.
Imagine for a second the sheer scale of Game of Thrones and the money it costs to film in locations around the world, with hundreds of extras, some of which require extensive make up.
But Amazon hopes its next project pays off because it's reportedly dropping a casual $1 billion on it.
The Financial Times reports the multi-national company wants to adapt the Chinese book trilogy Remembrance of Earth's Past by Liu Cixin, which includes The Three-Body Problem, The Dark Forest and Death's End. First published in 2008, it won the Hugo Award for Best Novel and was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel after being translated to English.
The science fiction series deals with aliens preparing to make contact with Earth, with references to virtual reality, nuclear weapons and particle accelerators.
YooZoo Pictures reportedly owns the TV and film rights to the series and have remained tight-lipped on whether Amazon has been in contact with it to talk about producing the massive series.
A billion bucks for a TV series sounds pretty ludicrous, but judging from the book's synopsis, Amazon will need all the cash it can muster to bring this incredible world to the small screen.
But if you thought the adaptation was going to be Amazon's sole focus, you'd be sorely mistaken. The massive company is also expected to spend half a billion on a TV reboot of Lord of the Rings.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show could run for five seasons, plus the potential for a spin off, with insiders putting the price tag for global rights alone at around $250 million (£189m).
However, given the scale of the Lord of the Rings fan-base, Amazon clearly believes that the enormous reported expense is justified.
"This is a unique story to tell new stories in a magical world that is a global phenomenon," Amazon's head of dramas and comedies, Sharon Tal Yguado, told THR. "As we build our diverse portfolio of programming, we are making some of our big bets on tentpole series."
Whether audiences will be happy to watch another reimagining of J R R Tolkien's beloved series of books is another thing.
For comparison, Entertainment Weekly reported that for season six of Game of Thrones, it cost HBO $10m per episode.
Featured Image Credit: Chongqing PressTopics: Books, Awesome, TV and Film, Interesting, Amazon, Lord Of The Rings, Game of Thrones