The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power co-creator J. D. Payne recently described the upcoming Prime Video series as the story fans have always wanted.
In an interview with Empire, Payne said the show's Second Age setting "contains some of the greatest stories from Tolkien’s mythos" that Middle-earth obsessives have long hoped to see dramatized more fully on screen. "Tolkien’s legendarium is this enormous tapestry that stretches 9,000 years... [The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is] the story fans have always wanted to see fleshed out, but until now has only really been told in whispers," he said. Key moments from Middle-earth history The Rings of Power is expected to adapt include the dark lord Sauron's ascension, the downfall of the island kingdom Númenor, and the forging of the magical rings that lend the show its title.
The epic fantasy series' sweeping scope recently prompted director J.A. Bayona to hype The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power as more than just a TV show. Bayona went so far as to insist that the format of the Middle-earth prequel's first eight-episode season deserved a new classification, to distinguish it from conventional television programming. "It's a new form we're creating here," he said.
Payne and co-creator Patrick McKay further hyped the Prime Video series' scope, promising that The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power's action scenes will outnumber those of "any television or streaming show we've ever seen." Despite this, McKay was quick to highlight the show will balance out its blockbuster battle scenes with smaller, character-driven encounters. "[I]nstead of having 10,000 Orcs fighting 10,000 men, what's it like to have one Orc in your face, in your kitchen? What's it like trying to kill an Orc when you've never killed an Orc before?" he said.
Payne also confirmed that he and McKay already know how The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will end. The co-showrunner revealed that Prime Video's licensing arrangement dictated that the series will run for 50 hours total, which allowed him and McKay to plan out the entire story up front, right down to the final shot of the final episode. "There are things in the first season that don't pay off until Season 5," Payne added.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power arrives on Prime Video on Sept. 2, 2022.
Source: Empire