Robert de Niro was awarded with the Presidential Medal of Freedom along with 20 other influential figures last Nov. 22, 2016. (Photo : Getty Images/Alex Wong)
TV show epics such as the fan favorite "Game of Thrones" cost an extraordinarily large amount just to produce a single episode of. However, when production costs are being discussed then a particular show from Netflix will definitely take the cake. This type of investment shows just how invested this streaming giant is to gain an edge on their competition.
Featuring talent such as the legendary Robert de Niro, the Netflix original show "The Get Down" will cost around $16 million each episode to produce. To see just how much Netflix is investing in this show, for each of his appearances, de Niro will get roughly $850,000, according to Barron's Next. However, this may not be seen as sustainable production costs.
The Netflix show will focus on how hip-hop came into prominence in the late 20th century and how it managed to overthrow disco music. Despite efforts from Baz Luhrmann as well as Nas and Grandmaster Flash, "The Get Down" has managed to butcher hip-hop history, according to Slate.
The production of an episode of "The Get Down" will cost about four times the average cost of producing an episode of a show that airs on Amazon. On average an episode of an Amazon show will cost around $2 to $4 million to make.
However, Amazon has also been known to put their money where there mouth is. Just recently they placed a big bet on the movie "Manchester by the Sea" and it paid dividends for them. After a short theatrical run, it will then be shown exclusively on the Amazon streaming service.
Amazon has decided to show "Manchester by the Sea" in more theaters. Now it is one of the favorites to win an Oscar against a budget of approximately $10 million. Still that does not compare to the budget of "The Get Down," which is said to have ballooned to over $200 million.
If this is any indication about the direction that series and movies are going then it is safe to expect even bigger budgets resulting in much bolder projects in the near future.
Watch the trailer for "The Get Down" here:
