Culture

Prime Video’s Tolkien TV epic named The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is the official name of Prime Video’s upcoming fantasy epic, based on the books of J.R.R. Tolkien.

The eagerly awaited Tolkien adaptation foreshadows Tolkien’s Second Age, and recounts the forging of the iconic rings. The big-budget drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, a multi-season spectacular with a star studded cast, will debut exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries, on Friday, September 2. New episodes will be available weekly.

“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,” said Showrunners J.D. Payne and  Patrick McKay. 

“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.”

The studio chose to physically forge the title in a blacksmith foundry, pouring molten metal into hand-carved wooden ravines shaped to the letterforms…

The studio chose to physically forge the title in a blacksmith foundry, pouring molten metal into hand-carved wooden ravines shaped to the letterforms. The process was captured in slow motion for a live-action video, which features voice-over narration of lines from Tolkien’s famous ‘Ring Verse’, describing the intended recipients of the 20 Rings of Power. 

“Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.”

The bespoke title treatment appears crafted in a silvery metal, with lines of Elvish script inscribed along the crest of each letter. Lines from Tolkien’s ‘Ring Verse’ featured in the voice-over as part of Prime Video’s announcement.

The official announcement reads: ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history. This epic drama will take viewers 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 one of the greatest villains 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. 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 farthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.”

The Lord of the Rings books have been translated into over 38 languages and have sold more than 150 million copies.

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