J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings are considered by many to be the greatest and most influential fantasy series of all-time. After several adaptations of the source material, Amazon Studios is set to bring the franchise back to the screen with a live-action series, titled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Here's what we know so far about Prime Video's adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, including the series' story and release date.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Updated July 14, 2022, to reflect the release of the trailer for Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
What Is the Story of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?
Amazon's Lord of the Rings series will take place thousands of years before the events of Tolkien's trilogy. In the timeline of Middle-earth, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place at the end of the Third Age, while the Prime Video series occurs during the Second Age, an era that spans more than 3,000 years. Tolkien's story collection The Silmarillion occurs during this period; it's also during this time that Sauron forges the One Ring.
While Amazon paid $250 million for the television rights, the Tolkien estate has many restrictions surrounding what can be shown. The Lord of the Rings is only allowed to take place during the Second Age, and the canon cannot be altered. Gaps between major events in The Silmarillion that are not described by Tolkien can be filled in by the series.
Here's the updated synopsis for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, released on Jan. 19, 2022:
Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth's history. This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and one of the greatest villains that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness. Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared reemergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the farthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.
Who Is in the Cast and Crew of Amazon's Lord of the Rings?
J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay serve as showrunners for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Cast members include Game of Thrones veterans Robert Aramayo and Joseph Mawle. Other cast members include Owain Arthur (Hard Sun), Nazanin Boniadi (Hotel Mumbai), Tom Budge (Gallipoli), Morfydd Clark (Crawl), Ismael Cruz Cordova (Miss Bala), Ema Horvath (The Gallows: Act II), Sophia Nomvete and Markella Kavenagh (The Gloaming.) Actors like Boniadi, Nomvete and Cordova will bring some long awaited diversity to Middle Earth. Clark is set to play Galadriel, while Robert Aramayo is playing Elrond, Arthur Prince Durin IV and Nomvete Dwarven Princess Disa.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Trailer
After significant build-up, Prime Video on Feb. 13 debuted a teaser trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power during Super Bowl LVI. The 60 seconds of footage reveals locations presumed to be the fabled kingdom of Númenor before its fall, the Dwarven realm of Khazad-dûm and, quite possibly, the Elven lands of Lindon. In between, there are shots of characters both familiar -- most notably, a young Galadriel and Elrond -- and new.
Later, on July 8th, Prime Video released a sneak peek of the full trailer that promised the main teaser would premiere on July 14th.
Then, on the 14th, they released the full trailer, which introduces some characters, and teases the respective cultures of Elves, Dwarves, Men and Hobbits.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Release Date
Amazon Studios marked the completion of filming on Season 1 in early August with the release of the first image from the series. That was accompanied by the announcement of the series premiere date: Sept. 2, 2022.
After buying purchasing TV rights in November 2017, Amazon Studios began development of the series in July 2018. Filming began in February 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand; however, like most films and TV series, production was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Production resumed in fall 2020. A second season, set to film in the United Kingdom, is already in development.
This article will be updated as more information becomes available.
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The Lord of the Rings The Rings of Power
- Cast:
- Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Maxim Baldry, Nazanin Boniadi, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Charles Edwards, Trystan Gravelle, Lenny Henry, Ema Horvath, Markella Kavenagh, Simon Merrells, Tyroe Muhafidin, Peter Mullan, Lloyd Owen, Sophia Nomvete, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Charlie Vickers, Leon Wadham, Benjamin Walker, Daniel Weyman, Sara Zwangobani
- Release Date:
- 2022-09-02
- Seasons:
- 1
- Genres:
- Fantasy, Adventure
- Studio:
- Amazon Studios
- Franchise:
- The Lord of the Rings
- Developer:
- J. D. Payne, Patrick McKay
- Distributor:
- Amazon Studios
- Main Characters:
- Míriel, Elrond, Durin IV, Isildur, Bronwyn, Galadriel, Arondir, Celebrimbor, Pharazôn, Sadoc Burrows, Eärien, Elanor "Nori" Brandyfoot, Trevyn, Theo, Durin III, Disa, Elendil, Poppy Proudfellow, Largo Brandyfoot, Halbrand, Kemen, Gil-galad, Marigold Brandyfoot
- Producer:
- Ron Ames, Christopher Newman
- Production Company:
- Amazon Studios, Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Trust, HarperCollins, New Line Cinema
- Story By:
- J. R. R. Tolkien
- Number of Episodes:
- 8
- Cinematographer:
- Aaron Morton, Alex Disenhof, Oscar Faura
- Writers:
- Patrick McKay, John D. Payne, Gennifer Hutchison, Justin Doble
