Although few details regarding Amazon Studios' The Lord of the Rings adaptation have emerged, there has been confirmation that the narrative will take place in the Second Age of Middle-earth. All adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's works so far have been set in the Third Age, so the television series will be breaking new ground in the portrayal of this fictional world.

Peter Jackson's beloved The Lord of the Rings trilogy was primarily focused on the end of the Third Age, as the Fellowship of the Ring set out to destroy the One Ring and defeat the villainous Sauron. These events occurred approximately 3,000 years after the end of the Second Age, an era defined by a conflict even more brutal and bloody than the War of the Ring seen in the movies. Here's what we know about that period in the history of Middle-earth.

RELATED: Everything Coming to Amazon Prime Video September 2020

The Second Age began with the banishment of Morgoth, an Ainur god and the source of all evil in the universe, into the Void after the War of Wrath. As the victors returned to normalcy, many elves decided to stay and live in Middle-earth, building the port city of Grey Havens. Meanwhile, men settled Númenor, a new land granted to them as a reward for their service, and established a proud and noble kingdom there. However, unbeknownst to all, dark forces had already begun amassing in the shadows.

One of Morgoth's top lieutenants was a Maiar, a divine spirit given physical form, named Sauron, who disappeared after a humiliating defeat at the hands of the elf Lúthien and the wolfhound Huan, allowing him to escape punishment when his master was defeated. Sauron spent centuries conducting his affairs covertly before re-emerging in Mordor and constructing the Tower of Barad-dûr. He began to gradually amass an army of dark creatures; though he desired to also recruit elves, they were too noble and powerful to be swayed to his side by normal means.

To control them, the Dark Lord disguised himself and befriended the elves in order to convince them to create the magical Rings of Power. Meanwhile, he secretly crafted his own One Ring, which would be able to control anyone wearing a Ring of Power. When the elves became aware of his plot, they abandoned the rings and turned against him, resulting in the War of the Elves and Sauron, and his first defeat.

RELATED: Lord of the Rings: Wood Calls Amazon Title Misleading - But He'd Still Cameo

Lord of the Rings battle in the second age as shown in the Fellowship of the Ring prologue

Since the elves proved to be difficult to subjugate, Sauron turned his attention to the men of Númenor. He tricked them into going to war against the godly Valar, and for their betrayal, the creator of the universe Eru Ilúvatar sunk Númenor into the ocean. The surviving men fled back to Middle-earth, where they formed the kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor. The city of Gondor was built on the very border of Mordor, threatening Sauron and causing him to start one more campaign.

This time, his opposition was the powerful Last Alliance of Elves and Men, leading to a decade-long war. As can be seen in the opening scene of The Fellowship of the Ring, the Last Alliance, led by the elf Gil-galad and the High King of Gondor and Arnor Elendil, eventually managed to strike the Dark Lord down, with Elendil's son Isildur greedily claiming the One Ring for himself. This event kickstarted the Third Age, and by extension, the stories that fans are more familiar with.

It's not immediately clear exactly what part of the Second Age will be adapted for Amazon's series, as Sauron's reign lasted for thousands of years, but it will most likely feature at least some of these major events. The story of the Second Age essentially explains how the world came to be the way it was in Tolkien's book series, and how Sauron created the collection of rings that are the central focus of their conflict. At the same time, the tale could also easily stand alone as a story of the races coming together to defeat an unspeakably powerful evil.

RELATED: Death Metal Reshapes the DC Universe Into... Middle-Earth

Lord-of-the-Rings-Gondor-Gandalf

Choosing the Second Age is a smart move for The Lord of the Rings series, as a different time setting means the story won't be hampered by the expectations established in the films, enabling the series to feel new and fresh. Moreover, this Age has grander set pieces and battles than even the Third Age, meaning there is potential for a ton of exciting content on the horizon.

With no trailers or a concrete release date announced for the series yet, fans will have to wait to see how Amazon's almost $1 billion project will turn out. Nevertheless, what little is known about the Second Age certainly looks promising, giving the new Lord of the Rings all the ingredients to become the next great fantasy television epic.

Produced by Amazon Studios, The Lord of the Rings stars Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Nazanin Boniadi, Tom Budge, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Ema Horvath, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Charlie Vickers and Daniel Weyman. The series is expected to premiere on Amazon Prime in 2021.

KEEP READING: Lord of the Rings: Gollum Described as a 'Prince of Persia-Like,' Stealth-Based Game