The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premieres on Amazon Prime Video today (September 1). Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne are the showrunners, and the cast includes Morfydd Clark as Galadriel, Robert Aramayo as Elrond, Ismael Cruz Cordova as Arondir and Benjamin Walker as High King Gil-galad.
The series is, of course, inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s literary franchise. Set thousands of years before the events of beloved Tolkien books The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, the series follows characters both familiar and new as they confront the re-emergence of evil in Middle-earth.
Amazon.com has a countdown clock on its homepage, showing the hours, minutes and seconds until the series launches, which by the clock’s count happens at 9 p.m. ET September 1.
Two episodes are available on premiere day.
“Beginning in a time of relative peace, we follow an ensemble cast of characters as they confront the re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth,“ the Prime Video description goes. “From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.”
The first season, with eight episodes, was shot in New Zealand and the second one shoots in the United Kingdom.
The Fellowship of the Ring novel came out in 1954, as did The Two Towers. The Return of the King came out a year later.
Peter Jackson directed the trio of Lord of the Rings movies, The Fellowship of the Ring from 2001, The Two Towers from 2002 and The Return of the King from 2003.
Jackson also directed a trio of movies based on The Hobbit, Tolkien’s 1937 novel.
The Rings of Power is a big, big swing for Prime Video. The season one price tag is an estimated $465 million. Several reviews say the money is well spent. The Guardian said: “It is so rich and gorgeous that it is easy to spend the first episode simply gawping at the landscapes, as it swoops and swooshes between the lands of elves and dwarves, humans and harfoots. This is TV that is made for big screens, although surely destined to be watched on smaller ones. It is so cinematic and grand that it makes House of the Dragon look as if it has been cobbled together on Minecraft.”
Variety noted, “...it’s safe to say that Amazon throwing the weight of its coffers at this property has resulted in a perfectly winning adaptation that unfolds swashbuckling adventures with clear reverence and affection for the considerable mythos behind it.”
A review on The Verge said, “Regardless of whether it’s streaming or airing on traditional networks, it’s rare that a series lives up to its studio’s dreams of it simultaneously feeling like a bingeable TV show and like a big, expensive cinematic event. Between a slate of strong performances, an eye for impactful minutiae, and a solid sense of its own ability to grow beyond the canon that it’s not technically a part of, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power definitely seems like it could be just that.”
McKay and Payne executive produce The Rings of Power with Lindsey Weber, Callum Greene, J.A. Bayona, Belén Atienza, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, Gennifer Hutchison, Bruce Richmond and Sharon Tal Yguado. Wayne Che Yip, J.A. Bayona and Charlotte Brandstrom are the directors.
McKay and Payne said last year, “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.” ■
