“The Rings Of Power” Is The Next Big Fantasy Series

Amazon Prime has launched the first teaser trailer of its most anticipated production: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, whose release date is scheduled for September 2 this year. The one-minute fragment allows us to see what JRR Tolkien’s world looks like in this new adaptation, something that had caused curiosity among the followers of Middle-earth.

The Rings of Power

After the trilogy of The Hobbit there was speculation about other Tolkien stories that could reach cinema. However, the disinterest of Peter Jackson and the unfavorable criticism of Bilbo Baggins’ trilogy in 2014 left that possibility aside. It was not until 2017 when 250 million dollars allowed Amazon to acquire the rights to produce a series, over Netflix, which also aspired to obtain the rights.

The result we will see in The Rings of Power, the series that takes us back to Middle-earth, to the Second Age of the Sun. It should be noted that the events of The Lord of the Rings take place during the Third Age of the Sun , so in this new production, we find ourselves thousands of years before Frodo’s journey. Here we will learn about the events related to the creation of the rings of power that were ultimately controlled by the one ring. We will see the kingdoms of dwarves, elves, and men fighting an intelligent Sauron who will try to deceive them, although in the end, as we already know, he will be defeated while his ring endures. 

It will be especially interesting to see Lady Galadriel and Lord Elrond played by new, younger actors, instead of Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving. The series is quite a challenge as it will have to condense thousands of years into a few seasons, at least five, as agreed between Amazon and Tolkien’s rights holders.

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The most expensive series in history

The cost of the first season of The Rings of Power is more than 200 million dollars for eight episodes, according to data from The Hollywood Reporter that adds up to a total of 465 million just to start.

If the trilogies of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit stood out in anything, it for it’s technological innovation, especially the acclaimed first trilogy. The use of motion capture for characters such as Gollum, computer animation for the creatures that inhabit Middle-earth, large-scale models, makeup, prosthetics, and the Howard Shore soundtrack met fan expectations. The series has a difficult goal to overcome, although the technology has of course improved in 20 years.

One of the fundamental pieces of Middle-earth on screen has been the music of Howard Shore, who returns to compose for The Rings of Power. The Canadian composer won three Oscars for the original trilogy, although he was unable to win any for The Hobbit. Finally, the precision of the series compared to the books has generated expectations among fans who expect spectacular landscapes and legendary settings that until now have only been imagined in books such as the kingdom of Númenor or Lindon. The production has taken care of even the smallest detail and the filming of the series has been done in New Zealand. The Rings of Power has all the ingredients to become a success and break all television records, although in the end, the audience has the last word.

The Lord of the Rings, a future ahead

As a great franchise, The Lord of the Rings has not rested on its laurels, in addition to the two trilogies it also highlights the 1978 animated film and, above all, what is to come. In 2021, the three original films were re-released in 4K to celebrate 20 years since the release of The Fellowship of the Ring.

The most important is, of course, the Amazon series, but there are other projects such as the prequel to the original trilogy that is planned to be released in 2024: The War of the Rohirrim. This animated film is directed by Kenji Kamiyama, who has in his filmography with Star Wars, Ghost in the Shell, and Blade Runner animes.