The film trilogies "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" directed by Peter Jackson, which are adaptations of the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, are currently considered one of the most successful fantasy films and the biggest projects in the history of cinema. They quite accurately convey the main storyline of the books, omitting only minor details, and also expand and complement the world thought out by the writer. Interesting storytelling, amazing special effects, perfectly matched actors - all this and much more has allowed films to receive many worthy film awards and have millions of loyal fans around the world.
Now we are waiting television series based on the Lord of the Rings universe from Amazon Prime, which will be a prequel to the films. He was first talked about back in 2017, when Amazon acquired the film rights to Tolkien's works for $250 million, assuming a five-season production commitment, so there's sure to be a long road ahead of us along with our favorite characters.
It is known that the filming of the first season of the series ended on August 2, 2021. They were being fought in New Zealand, where Peter Jackson's film trilogies were filmed and where fans of the saga gather, giving the name to a new direction in the field of tourism - Tolkien tourism. The second and subsequent seasons will be filmed in the UK.
Release date of The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power
The series is scheduled to premiere on 2 September 2022 years on the Prime Video streaming service. The first season will consist of 8 episodes, which will be released once a week.
In the meantime, we can expect the first teaser trailer February 14, which will be shown on American TV during the final match of the US National Football League in the 2021 season (starts at 02:30 Moscow time). Of course, the video will appear on the network. In anticipation of new content for discussion, we invite you to consider with us what is already known about the project.
Series name
For a long time, the project remained untitled until Amazon released the full title in a video announcement. "Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power" - quite sonorous, despite the obvious tautology. In the announcement, molten metal pours letters into a piece of wood, and a female voice (presumably the voice Galadriel) reads the voice-over, repeating the history of the creation of the rings: "Three rings for elven kings under the sky. Seven is for the dwarves in their stone halls. Nine is for mortals. And one ring for the Dark Lord in the lands of Mordor where shadows lie.".
Interestingly, the video that reveals the title was not made with CGI, but with practical effects - the foundry and metal artist, as well as the special effects director, sought to realistically capture the molten metal moving along the carvings in the mahogany bar.
What will the series be about?
As you know, the chronology in Tolkien's world is divided into several eras. The events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place in the Third Age, which lasted until 3021. The series will take place during the Second Age of Middle-earth, which has 3441 years, that is thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. There is no doubt that, as a result, adventure awaits us against the backdrop of majestic landscapes with unspoiled coasts, forests and mountains.
According to the synopsis, the plot will take viewers to a time when great powers were born, kingdoms rose to glory and turned into ruins, heroes experienced difficult trials, and greatest villain to ever come out of Tolkien's pen, threatened to cover the whole world with impenetrable darkness. The story will feature a variety of characters, both familiar and new, who oppose the resurgence of evil in Middle-earth. From the dark depths of the Misty Mountains to the elven kingdom of Lindon, from the Isle of Numenor to the far reaches of the map, these characters will leave a legacy that will live on.
Viewers will see one of the main events of the Second Age of Middle-earth - creating rings of power for elves, dwarves, humans and the dark lord Sauron.
“Previously, the story of only one ring was presented on the screen. But before that, there were many rings - and we are glad to be able to tell about all of them, ”said the showrunners of the project.
Sauron will begin to expand his influence in Middle-earth, which will lead to the creation Last Union of Elves and Menwho will defeat him in battle. After the first fall of Sauron, the end of the Second Age will come.
Also show the epic story of the fall of Numenor: in the Second Age, a powerful people lived on this island - the Númenóreans, who became great navigators. But, having fallen under the influence of Sauron, they began to envy the elves because of their eternal life, because they themselves were mortal. The gods punished them for their pride, turning the once flat Earth into a ball and thereby flooding the island. The few surviving Numenoreans who had taken refuge in their ships fled to Middle-earth, where they founded Gondor and gave rise to the royal dynasty of Aragorn's ancestors.
In addition, the first frame from the series, where a certain person stands against the backdrop of a majestic city, may allude to either the realm of Valinor, or to the city of Osgiliath, the first capital of Gondor. It was built towards the end of the Second Age and came under threat during the War of the Last Alliance, making it an attractive setting for the show's Sauron Rebellion.
main characters
The plot focuses on many well-known characters. One of them will be Sauron, which, apparently, will turn out to be the main antagonist of at least the first season. His opponent will be Elrond, Lord of Rivendell, who was one of the leaders of the Last Union of Elves and Men. Also confirmed to be in the story elven queen Galadriel. The mention in the synopsis of Lindon suggests that her life in the elven capital will be shown.
Released by Amazon a series of posters with the main characters of the series, but they depict only hands, rings, weapons and other identifying marks that only hint at one or another hero. As conceived by the creators, the absence of faces and signatures was supposed to push the audience build theories and guess characters. Thus, the gloved hand with the sword undoubtedly belongs to Sauron himself:
The hands covered with gold are surely Dwarven:
The hand clenched around what appears to be the scepter of Annuminas, the symbol of royalty, may belong to Elendil, who rescued the scepter from the fall of Numenor and brought it to Middle-earth:
Hands with a white flower allude to Nimloth - a magical tree with white flowers, which Sauron ordered to be cut down, seeking to destroy everything connected with the Valar and the elves:
Also in the series will appear new characters that are not in the original works of Tolkien:
- Beldor - "experienced fighter";
- Tyra is a "smart" person who is probably an elf;
- Oren is a villain.
Cast
Not the most famous artists are involved in the series, there are no big Hollywood names here. The main role is given to Max Baldry, familiar to the audience from the TV series "The Years". The project will also feature Game of Thrones actors Robert Aramayo, who portrayed the young Ned Stark, and Joseph Mole (Benjen Stark).
Australian actress Markella Kavena from the TV series Lament will try on the image of the elf Tyra. Welsh actress Morfydd Clark as Galadriel will follow in the footsteps of Cate Blanchett, who played her in the films. Also ing the cast are Charles Edwards, Will Fletcher, Amelie Child Villers, debutant Bo Cassidy and other actors for whom The Lord of the Rings will certainly be a career breakthrough.
Interesting facts about the show
- At the moment this is most expensive TV show in the world - His shooting cost 465 million dollars.
- Initially, information was circulating on the network that the series would follow the adventures of the young Aragorn before his appearance in The Fellowship of the Ring. However, following a tweet from Amazon: "Welcome to the Second Age", it became clear that the action would take place thousands of years before his birth.
- It is also known that actor Lenny Henry will play a dark-skinned hobbit - or rather, harfuta, which can be translated as "mokhnonog". Tolkien wrote of the Harfoots that "their skin was darker" and "they went west early", which explains the absence of dark-skinned hobbits in the films. At the same time, hobbits did not appear until the Third Age, which means that the creators of the series are not afraid to make bold decisions and serious deviations from the canons.
- Initially Peter Jackson resolutely renounced his at least any connection with the series. However, he later changed his tone, wishing the creators of the project "all the best" and promising to "be sure to try to help them if necessary, because this is a big task."
In addition, you can read about the early scandals associated with the project. here. Write in the comments what you think about the series.
