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DGHCaretaker
Nargothrond
Oct 5, 7:49pm
Post #1 of 13
(3408 views)
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ThatParkPlace.com article on Rings of Power:
https://thatparkplace.com/amazon-cant-cancel-rings-of-power-without-hefty-financial-kill-fee-to-tolkien-estate/
Bullet points:
$20m kill fee per every unfinished season, offering some explanation for not canceling the show.
Staggering money pit that drains Amazon of other opportunities.
37% of domestic Prime subscribers finished the first season while a 50% completion rate is considered “unspectacular.”
Rings of Power rapidly descending in a catastrophic drop towards Loki, Secret Invasion, Agatha All Along, and Echo levels.
I won't vouch for the credibility of the site, but I consider it as more information to evaluate claims along the way.
I still see most loving praise of Rings of Power as admiring the beauty of the emperor's clothes; wanting to believe. However, Season 3 is the really the first opportunity for the show to change things from viewer feedback since Season 1 and most of Season 2 were written before even airing Season 1. So let's see how it goes. But the article's graph showing the slope of the existing seasons against other failed shows should be alarming with three seasons to continue such a decline.
That said, I still put 90% of the blame on the Tolkien Estate and their dumb fracturing of rights to the mythology. Imagine what the show could have done with full rights.
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Junesong
Nargothrond
Oct 6, 5:31pm
Post #2 of 13
(3394 views)
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Thanks for the update! That's great news. I'm glad the Tolkien estate put that clause in - it would be tragic to see such an ambitious attempt cut short just because a trillion dollar company isn't making profit from it.
Also sounds like enough of us are watching and loving it that they can afford to wait a bit for other fans to join in. Maybe they won't - don't forget, the pursuit of casual fans is not just contending with other shows, and the usual media landscape, they are also competing with the super loud and obnoxious online community who hate the show and want everyone else to wake up and hate it too. The show might always just appeal to a small niche fanbase and that's ok.
As someone who has famously and continually shown contempt for both Amazon and ROP, it was nice and kind of touching to see what sounded like concern in your post. I'm sure no matter how much of a "money pit" ROP ends up being, Amazon will still be able to scrape up some loose change for other opportunities.
Also, I LOVED Loki. If that's an example of a ratings failure then I think it's a very apropo comparison here. Not every excellent piece of art needs to be a huge moneymaker. Sometimes it's nice just to get good work that fans enjoy.
As I've said before - I really really loved Season 2. I thought it was a huge level up from Season 1 and (as you've pointed out a few times) season 3 is our first chance to see the showrunners do some course correction as well. I'm really pumped to see where things go from here.
Anyway - thanks for the really encouraging update! I'm happy to hear we'll likely be getting all 5 seasons regardless of how loud the online complaints become.
Haters gonna hate, after all.
"So which story do you prefer?"
"The one with the tiger. That's the better story."
"Thank you. And so it goes with God."
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DGHCaretaker
Nargothrond
Oct 7, 2:50am
Post #3 of 13
(3371 views)
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I'm happy to hear we'll likely be getting all 5 seasons regardless of how loud the online complaints become.
You see concern where I meant objective news, but fine. ;)
You should remember, too, that I've consistently posted of having no doubt about Rings of Power running all five seasons - and that with no previous knowledge of any "kill fee." I've known that just as well and immediately as Halbrand was so incredibly obviously Sauron. Well, new writers, new chances... But old showrunners, sooo...
(This post was edited by DGHCaretaker on Oct 7, 2:53am)
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Noria
Hithlum
Oct 7, 3:36am
Post #4 of 13
(3366 views)
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Just stopped by TORN to see if there was any discussion of the bits and pieces about ROP Season 3 that have recently appeared.
Coincidentally, I’m just finishing rewatching both seasons of ROP, because I felt like it. I still really like the first season and love the second. I have quibbles and there are things I would have done differently which is exactly what I feel about Jackson’s films. But overall, IMO, the series doesn’t need any major tweaking. Actually, I’ve always suspected that Poppy’s appearance in Season 2, after the heartfelt farewell at the end Season 1, was a minor tweak.
If ROP is cancelled, I doubt that we’ll see any more TV adaptations of Tolkien for some while. Studios won’t care that the production was “too woke” or about Amazon’s marketing strategies. They’ll just see Tolkien=fail.
The sun yet shines
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DwellerInDale
Nargothrond
Oct 7, 4:09am
Post #5 of 13
(3360 views)
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"ThatParkPlace.com" has, from Day One, been fully biased against ROP, cherry picking everything negative that they can find. This article is typical.
As for the kill fee being the reason why Amazon "can't cancel the show": just do the math. If ROP were to be canceled after Season 3, Amazon would have to pay the Tolkien estate $40 million. Each single episode of ROP costs more than $40 million (Season 1 episodes cost $58 million each). So Amazon would lose $40 million but gain savings of $600-$800 million.
Don't mess with my favorite female elves.
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AshNazg
Hithlum
Fri, 10:33pm
Post #6 of 13
(611 views)
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I wonder if they could repurpose seasons 4&5 as a separate project?
[In reply to]
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Can't Post
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If they are under contract for 5 seasons, and seasons 1-3 have poor ratings - I wonder if they could use season 3 to wrap-up the story, give us an ending…
And then rename Seasons 4&5 as something else, for example: The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age. Thereby fulfilling their contract and getting a chance for a hard reset on a new project.
(The final chapter of The Silmarillion is ‘Of the Rings of Power and The Third Age, so it works well, and if they could squeeze out three seasons for each, then that could be Amazon’s two Middle-earth “trilogies”)
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Otaku-sempai
Elvenhome
Sat, 1:29am
Post #7 of 13
(584 views)
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It would be a shame if The Rings of Power didn't at least make it to the Downfall of Númenor (I'm still not sure that the plan it to see the Second Age through to the War of the Last Alliance). I might not like the show's approach much, but I can respect seeing the project through to its end.
“Hell hath no fury like that of the uninvolved.” - Tony Isabella
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DGHCaretaker
Nargothrond
Sat, 5:21am
Post #8 of 13
(556 views)
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Rings of Power Is Not Going Away
[In reply to]
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It would be a shame if The Rings of Power didn't at least make it to the Downfall of Númenor...
This is non sequitur or maybe an ironic wish within the report topic that a Kill Fee is at least in part responsible for what I've been saying all along despite the not-a-fan that I am: "Rings of Power will run at least its entire 5-season run."
Does no one believe me? Even though I told everyone Halbrand is Sauron and The Stranger is Gandalf from the get-go? Even the fans who want it to go its full run seem doubtful in their hopes, posting various fears of being cancelled.
A Kill Fee supports assurance - not doubt.
Are the strongly implied doubtful wishes that such expressions of hope represent indicative of something? After all, there would be no doubt or reason to cast wishes upon a stronger show. (Though I understand critics are less likely to refrain from such things).
(This post was edited by DGHCaretaker on Sat, 5:23am)
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Otaku-sempai
Elvenhome
Sat, 4:53pm
Post #9 of 13
(424 views)
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Frankly, you're not good at it. No, I am not wishing for the show's cancellation (though maybe I did hope for that at the conclusion of the first season). What I do want is for The Rings of Power to get better and be at least a bit more faithful to the spirit of Tolkien's legendarium, if not the particulars. I want to feel like I am in Tolkien's Middle-earth, not someone else's pale imitation of it.
“Hell hath no fury like that of the uninvolved.” - Tony Isabella
(This post was edited by Otaku-sempai on Sat, 4:54pm)
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DGHCaretaker
Nargothrond
Sat, 9:36pm
Post #10 of 13
(369 views)
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"Wishing for the show's cancellation" is an absolute and much different than what I've written.
What I wrote about is people who do NOT wish for cancellation, but in their expressed hopes, reveal their doubts (despite my assurances).
(This post was edited by DGHCaretaker on Sat, 9:36pm)
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Otaku-sempai
Elvenhome
12:32am
Post #11 of 13
(331 views)
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Well, I seem to have over-stepped in my assumptions and for that I apologize. I read too much into your post. Even so, I was not "ironically wishing" for anything.
“Hell hath no fury like that of the uninvolved.” - Tony Isabella
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Voronwë_the_Faithful
Doriath
3:16am
Post #12 of 13
(312 views)
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There is a non-zero chance that the Rings of Power will end sooner than the original 5 years
[In reply to]
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I put the percentage at approximately 0.00056934%
'But very bright were the stars upon the margin of the world, when at times the clouds about the West were drawn aside.'
The Hall of Fire
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DGHCaretaker
Nargothrond
3:50am
Post #13 of 13
(307 views)
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Well done. Good, scientific approach.
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