Amazon has announced today that their big budget The Lord of the Rings TV series will be titled The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. As the title suggests, the show is going to follow the forging of the original rings (yes, rings) of power while also following the rise of the villainous Sauron.
"This is a title that we imagine could live on the spine of a book next to J.R.R. Tolkien’s other classics. The Rings of Power unites all the major stories of Middle-earth’s Second Age: the forging of the rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, the epic tale of Númenor, and the Last Alliance of Elves and Men," showrunners J.D. Payne & Patrick McKay said today. "Until now, audiences have only seen on-screen the story of the One Ring - but before there was one, there were many...and we’re excited to share the epic story of them all."
Shot in New Zealand, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power's first season cost a whopping $465 million to produce. It's also been revealed that it takes place during "the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth's history," taking us "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 the greatest villain 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," the synopsis continues. "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 furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone."
The massive ensemble cast includes names like 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.
We're definitely excited to see some actual footage from the show, but don't dismiss the teaser below as a lazy CG effort. It was all shot practically and suitably sets the stage for this series.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will premiere on Friday, September 2.