On Super Bowl Sunday, Amazon released the breathtaking teaser trailer for their anticipated prequel series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
This Prime Video adaptation ventures into the unexplored within J. R. R. Tolkien’s cherished book series, and does so in an eight-episode order for the first season.
Set to premiere on September 2nd, 2022, this series will take us back to the Second Age of Middle-earth, occurring thousands of years before the events of The Lord of the Rings.
Watch the first The Rings of Power teaser below!
The teaser opens with a beautiful shot of a city on the water, presumably the island kingdom of Númenor. As the shot pans over the water and up into the city landscape, the voice of a young woman asks us, “haven’t you ever wondered what else is out there?” This sets the tone for the assortment of new characters and astonishing settings throughout the rest of the trailer.
Viewers get a sneak peak of Markella Kavenagh, who plays a young harfoot, the ancestor of hobbits. We also see Ismael Cruz Córdova, starring in the show as Arrondir, crouched low in a smoky forest as he sends a fiery arrow into the sky.
And although not featured in the teaser, one of the new characters created for the series is Dwarven Princess Disa, who is played by British actress Sophia Nomvete.
Something important to note is the range of diversity and representation featured in the teaser, and in the adaptation overall.
Lindsey Weber, executive producer of the show, told The Hollywood Reporter, “It felt only natural to us that an adaptation of Tolkien’s work would reflect what the world actually looks like, Tolkien is for everyone”.
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- Photo Credit: Amazon Studios
In November of 2017, Amazon purchased the television rights to LOTR at a rumored $250 million dollars. They also agreed to a billion dollar, five-season production, making the show the most expensive TV series ever produced.
Amazon only currently owns the television rights, as the video game and film rights for LOTR are still for sale. However, Amazon is said to likely end up owning those as well.
Interestingly, Amazon purchased the rights without a set concept for the show. Instead, they closed the deal and later considered the pitches of multiple writers.
In the end, J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay’s prequel concept won. These experienced writers, who have been collaborating for about 20 years, are also currently writing the next Star Trek and have worked on several notable adaptations including Godzilla vs. King Kong, Goliath, and Deadliest Warrior.
RELATED: The 4 Things We Most Want to See in the Amazon Lord of the Rings Series
Stay tuned for the premiere of what should be an incredible adaptation and television series. You can access the show on September 2nd through Prime Video.
[via Rotten Tomatoes; Den of Geek]
