‘Lord of the Rings’ Prequel Is Amazon Prime Video’s Biggest Premiere

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez in London on August 30, 2022 Niklas HALLE'N AFP
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez in London on August 30, 2022 Niklas HALLE'N AFP
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‘Lord of the Rings’ Prequel Is Amazon Prime Video’s Biggest Premiere

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez in London on August 30, 2022 Niklas HALLE'N AFP
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez in London on August 30, 2022 Niklas HALLE'N AFP

Amazon announced Saturday that its big budget series "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power," based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, had marked the biggest premiere in the history of Prime Video -- with 25 million viewers.

With this flagship production that started streaming Friday, Prime Video aims to counter the lure of HBO and its prequel to the hit series "Game of Thrones", "House of the Dragon", which began airing on August 21.

HBO also has said it had its best premiere, with its prequel, with nearly 10 million viewers in the United States alone, AFP reported.

"The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power attracted more than 25 million global viewers on its first day, breaking all previous records, marking the biggest premiere in the history of Prime Video," a company statement said. It has aired the first two episodes.

"It is somehow fitting that Tolkien's stories -- among the most popular of all time, and what many consider to be the true origin of the fantasy genre -- have led us to this proud moment," said Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios.

The series, which will air until October 14, is crucial for Amazon, which wants to play in the ultra-competitive streaming landscape, where Netflix, Disney+ and HBO Max are already battling it out.

"The Rings of Power" is set during Tolkien's Second Age in Middle-earth, thousands of years before the events of "The Hobbit" and "Lord of the Rings", Tolkien's cult trilogy which has already been adapted for film.

Amazon paid $250 million to buy the rights, and some $465 million was spent on the first season alone. The group having committed to five seasons, the final sum should top one billion dollars by far.



Disney Launches Stage Musical 'Hercules' in London

FILE PHOTO: Buses cross Waterloo Bridge with the City of London financial district seen behind, in London, Britain, March 5, 2024. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Buses cross Waterloo Bridge with the City of London financial district seen behind, in London, Britain, March 5, 2024. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo
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Disney Launches Stage Musical 'Hercules' in London

FILE PHOTO: Buses cross Waterloo Bridge with the City of London financial district seen behind, in London, Britain, March 5, 2024. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Buses cross Waterloo Bridge with the City of London financial district seen behind, in London, Britain, March 5, 2024. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo

Disney takes London audiences back to Ancient Greece with its new musical "Hercules", bringing alive its 1997 animation on the West End stage.

Showing at composer Andrew Lloyd Webber's Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the show is inspired by the much-loved Disney film, itself based on the ancient myth.

It follows the titular character and son of Zeus who, upon losing his immortality as a baby due to the plotting Hades, god of the underworld, goes from zero to hero to stop his uncle from taking over.

“It's a myth that reflects contemporary culture and still honors the DNA of (the) animated movie," Robert Horn, who wrote the show's book with Kwame Kwei-Armah, told Reuters late on Tuesday at the musical's press night.

"It's its own new thing and yet fans of the movie will absolutely come and recognize it and love it.”

Central to the show are the five Muses, who sing their way through the story with energetic gospel-like tunes and plenty of costume changes, Reuters reported.

"I think I speak for all of us ... we have idolized these women. We have looked at these women and seen ourselves in times when we weren't really represented," actor Malinda Parris, who plays Calliope, said. "So being able to be that representation for other young girls ... who ... want to be The Muses ... it's living the dream."

The show differs from the movie in several ways, including Hercules' mentor, Phil, no longer being a satyr but a taverna owner.

“The main thing is that he still is there ... to love and support Hercules on his journey," actor Trevor Dion Nicholas said.

"It really is about building this bond between the two of them that kind of builds this paternal relationship that I think we were able to deepen more so than the animated film was."

"Hercules" is the latest Disney stage adaptation in London, showing in the same theatre where the hit show "Frozen" ran up until last year.

It features songs written by Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken and lyricist David Zippel from the animation, including "Go the Distance" and "Zero to Hero", as well as new tunes.