Amazon Studios' long-awaited Lord of the Rings series is following its years of silence with a wave of exciting news about its upcoming live-action serial adaptation.
The series wrapped filming and Amazon Studios celebrated the occasion by announcing the highly-anticipated show's planned premiere date of Friday, Sept. 2, 2022. The show will be available exclusively on Prime Video with new episodes being released weekly. Additionally, the announcement was accompanied by a first look at the series: a photo depicting an unknown location in Middle-Earth with a mysterious figure in the distance.
Amazon Studios' currently untitled Lord of the Rings television adaptation takes place thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings novels, in what is known as the Second Age of Middle-Earth. However, audiences can expect to see familiar faces alongside the array of new ones.
Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios, stated, "I can't express enough just how excited we all are to take our global audience on a new and epic journey through Middle-earth! Our talented producers, cast, creative, and production teams have worked tirelessly in New Zealand to bring this untold and awe-inspiring vision to life." Showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay said, "As Bilbo says, 'Now I think I am quite ready to go on another journey.' Living and breathing Middle-earth these many months has been the adventure of a lifetime. We cannot wait for fans to have the chance to do so as well."
The upcoming series stars Headlining this ensemble cast are Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Maxim Baldry, Nazanin Boniadi, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Charles Edwards, Trystan Gravelle, Sir Lenny Henry, Ema Horvath, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Lloyd Owen, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Charlie Vickers, Leon Wadham, Benjamin Walker, Daniel Weyman, and Sara Zwangobani.
Production was shrouded in secrecy, with reports from the early stages of development revealing that the Lord of the Rings writers room were required to work in a secure room with taped windows to prevent leaks of any details or even the progress of the show. Though Amazon Studios' strictness and secrecy did have support from some of the show's stars, including actor Benjamin Walker, who explained that fans would be glad that the show will be completely unspoiled.
Source: Amazon Studios