The SpoilerTV Daily Newsreel - 20th March 2018

20th March 2018

18:00 - Lord of the Rings - Amazon Series Reported to Cost $500 Million

Amazon’s Lord of the Rings prequel will cost the company an estimated $500 million, according to Reuters.

The rights alone to a piece of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy franchise apparently cost the company $250 million. Amazon has made a deal for two seasons, and the production and marketing costs for both should total around another $250 million. This would make the LOTR project easily the most expensive TV series ever made.

In fact, it’s more than it cost Peter Jackson to make all three movies in his Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy, at least, before their marketing costs (according to Box Office Mojo).

And the Amazon drama will have the additional challenge — some might say benefit — of not being a reboot of the familiar tale of Frodo and the One Ring. Instead, the Amazon project will be a prequel series based on Tolkien’s works with an as-yet-unreleased story line.

By comparison, HBO spends about $15 million per episode on GoT at this point — probably a bit more for the upcoming final season — plus marketing costs.

Source:

Entertainment Weekly

18:00 - Camping - Ione Skye Joins HBO Comedy

Ione Skye is the latest addition to the cast of the upcoming HBO series “Camping,” which hails from “Girls” creators Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner.

Skye has been cast in the series regular role of Carleen, who has spent her life in the shadows as a sister, as a hospice worker and as an unsuccessful equestrian. It has left her meek, terrified and relying on her own strange passions, like crocheting with polyester yarn, to get her through the lonely days.

Source:

Variety

18:00 - Stranger Things - Season 3 - Cast Recieve Major Salary Increases

The rise is especially dramatic for the young stars who were mostly newcomers before being cast in Stranger Things, reportedly pulling in about $30,000 an episodes the first two seasons. I hear their per-episode fee will go up to more than $200,000 an episodes and possibly around $250,000.

Brown, who emerged as the breakout star of Stranger Things, is believed to have landed a bigger raise than her young counterparts.

Ryder and Harbour, who were established actors with sizable resumes, started higher and I hear will remain ahead of their younger co-stars, including Brown. I hear their new salaries are north of 300,000, approaching 350,000 an episode.

Also getting a bump are the other Stranger Things series regulars, including Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton, whose new paychecks are said to be in the $100,000-$150,000 range.

Source: