There was never any doubt that it was going to cost A LOT of money to bring J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings to television. Just the very nature of the story ensures that no matter which medium it's adapted for, it won't be a cheap endeavor. That's something Amazon knows full well, though, and after spending $250 million to acquire the rights to the property, we're now hearing that they may be shelling out another $500 million to actually produce it.