JRR Tolkien fans have an opportunity to return to Middle-earth—though things look a bit different this time. All eight episodes in Season One of the new Amazon Original series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power are now available on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. In addition to a new episodic format, there are new characters, a new age, and a new legend set thousands of years before the events of The Hobbits and The Lord of the Rings books.
Read on to learn more about the cast, the creative direction, and most importantly, how, where, and when you can watch.
Where can I watch?
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is available exclusively on Prime Video. If you’re a Prime member, log in to your account to watch on PrimeVideo, free with your membership. If you’re not a Prime Member yet, learn more about the benefits and find out how you can sign up.
How many episodes are in Season One?
There are eight episodes in Season One.
Do you need to watch the movies or read the books in order to understand the series?
The series is set thousands of years before the events of The Hobbits and The Lord of the Ringsso audiences new to the franchise do not have to watch the films or read the books to understand the series.
Where was ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ filmed?
Season One of the Prime Video series was filmed in New Zealand.
What is ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ about?
The series brings the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history to screens. This epic drama takes 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 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 returning to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elven capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenorto the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.
Who directed the series?
The series is led by showrunners and executive producers JD Payne and Patrick McKay. In Season One, they were joined by executive producers Lindsey Weber, Callum Greene, JA Bayona, Belén Atienza, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, Gennifer Hutchison, Bruce Richmond, and Sharon Tal Yguado, and producers Ron Ames and Christopher Newman. Wayne Che Yip is co-executive producer and directs, along with JA Bayona and Charlotte Brändström for the first season.
Photo by Ben Rothstein/Ben Rothstein / Amazon
Which well-known characters show up in the series?
There are several familiar faces in the series, including Galadriel, Elrond, and High King Gil-galad.
Who wrote the new series?
The writers include showrunners JD Payne & Patrick McKay, along with executive producer Gennifer Hutchison (Breaking Bad), executive producer Jason Cahill (The Sopranos), executive produced by Justin Doble (Stranger Things), consulting producer Bryan Cogman (Game of Thrones) and Stephany Folsom (Toy Story 4), producer Ron Ames (The Aviators), co-producer Helen Shang (Hannibal), and writing consultant Glenise Mullins.
Who is in the cast?
There are 38 cast members in Season One. The cast for the first season includes: Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Maxim Baldry, Ian Blackburn, Nazanin Boniadi, Beau Cassidy, Kip Chapman, Morfydd Clark, Anthony Crum, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Maxine Cunliffe, Charles Edwards, Will Fletcher, Trystan Gravelle, Lenny Henry, Ema Horvath, Thusitha Jayasundera, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Simon Merrells, Fabian McCallum, Geoff Morrell, Tyroe Muhafidin, Peter Mullan, Sophia Nomvete, Lloyd Owen, Augustus Prew, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith , Peter Tait, Alex Tarrant, Charlie Vickers, Amelie Child-Villiers, Leon Wadham, Benjamin Walker, Daniel Weyman, and Sara Zwangobani.
When does Season Two come out?
Production for Season Two of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is currently ongoing in the UK. We’ll keep you posted as more news and updates are available.
What can we expect to see in ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ Season Two?
During a conversation panels in Los Angeles, actress Morfydd Clark who plays Galadriel shared that her character will wear one of the previously forged Elven rings. She also revealed that additional rings will be forged in the new season. This gives fans just a taste of what is to come.