Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: Lord of the Rings

  • REVIEW: ‘The Rings of Power’ Finally Comes Together in Action-Packed ‘Udûn’

    REVIEW: ‘The Rings of Power’ Finally Comes Together in Action-Packed ‘Udûn’

    Pretty much from the very start, Amazon’s The Rings of Power has had a bit of a pacing issue. The show has been awe-inspiring in nearly every other facet of storytelling, but from episode to episode, it’s slowly become clear that this season of television was going to be a little slow. This feeling of creeping along has been due, in large in part, to multiple different plots occurring fairly separately from each other, with no immediate signs of coming together anytime soon. The lack of connectivity and variance in strength between arcs could often lead to difficulty with viewer engagement or cause the series to feel aloof despite the actual quality of the scripts being filmed. With this week’s ‘Udûn’, however, that problem vanished into thin air.

    Udûn is an incredibly satisfying payoff to two of the four concurrent storylines happening on The Rings of Power. Ismael Cruz Córdova’s Arondir and Nazanin Boniadi’s Bronwyn attempt to lead the people of the Southlands in combat against Joseph Mawle’s Adar and his dastardly army of orcs, while Morfydd Clark’s Galadriel sails toward Middle-earth with the forces of Numénor in tow. The ultimate culmination of these arcs leads to the show’s most epic, emotional, action-packed hour yet, gleefully pulling from weeks of build-up and suspense to craft an episode that feels like a season finale despite having multiple installments left to air. As per usual, the visuals are glorious, and the nearly episode-long battle between man, elf, and orc appeared to be pulled from a feature length film.

    The intensity of the action in Udûn was rather impressive, with stunts and fight choreography that should remind audiences they’re watching the most expensive show on television. A moment between Arondir and an especially large orc stands out for its immaculate camera work and character design. When The Walking Dead was at its peak, it seemed that anyone and everyone had dreams of putting on zombie makeup and wandering around the set. The Rings of Power, especially in this episode, is making a great case for changing that dream to raiding villages in full orc regalia. It’s amazing how much fun it can be to watch a show when its best moments happen in broad daylight, and there’s no darkness to mask the stupendous work of the costume department and set designers.

    Most of the action bits work as well as they do because the character moments in-between allow the chaos to feel earned. After a few weeks in which it sometimes seemed the show’s leads were just running in circles, most everyone in Udûn took leaps and bounds toward becoming as unique and interesting as the first few episodes had promised. The series’ villains, in particular, finally have a genuine motivation for viewers to understand, something that makes Adar and his vile crew even more entertaining to watch. Charlie Vickers‘ Lord Halbrand and Maxim Baldry‘s Isildur, along with Lloyd Owen‘s Elendil, also get some much-needed backstory and character progression that will hopefully make them more intriguing to follow going forward.

    The episode’s ending, which plays out in spectacular style, has also undoubtedly left fans craving more. It was the perfect ending to an episode that felt like all gas and no breaks from the word “go.” Obviously, a show can’t survive on pulse-pounding action alone, but hopefully The Rings of Power has spent enough time slowly constructing its plots that the rest of the season can be as exciting as Udûn. If it sticks that landing, there’s no telling what kind of joy the series will bring as it moves on to greater pastures.

  • ‘The Rings of Power’ Episode 6 and the Origins of Mordor

    ‘The Rings of Power’ Episode 6 and the Origins of Mordor

    Amazon Prime’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power continues to deliver week to week and Episode 6, entitled “Udûn, may have been one of the series’ best to date. After Galadriel, Halbrand and the Númenóreans arrived just in time to help Bronwyn and Arondir hold off Adar and his army of orcs, things seemed to be trending up in Middle-Earth. However, just as Halbrand is hailed as King of the Southlands, the Southlands get a major remodeling.

    As it turns out, when Adar was captured he was not carrying the hilt that he and the orcs had been seeking out. Unseen, Adar gave the hilt, which works as a key, to Waldreg, one of his grimey human peons. Waldreg worked back to the tower where he inserted the hilt into a stone and truly unleashed hell on Middle-Earth. Waldreg turned free a dammed up water source that eventually found its way to an underground lake of lava. Upon arrival, the mixture caused a catastrophic eruption, blowing the top off of a mountain which will now become known as Mount Doom.

    The location where Sauron’s treachery finally ended as seen in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King when Gollum falls into the lava and destroys the One Ring is now the centerpiece of The Rings of Power. Adar’s plan to find his Uruk a home where they can be free of the sun came to fruition as the eruption of Mount Doom turned the once scenic valley into what will now become Mordor, the realm of Sauron. Showrunner Patrick McKay talked to the Hollywood Reporter about the decision to show the creation of such a major setting in the franchise.

    A huge theme in Tolkien is the environmentalism and the way machines and industrializations destroys the land. We wanted that to be central and core all the time. It’s a thing that comes up again and again throughout the show. So in the writers room, we asked: What if Mordor was beautiful? All bucolic like Switzerland. And then what could happen that could transform it? We talked about the poisoning of the land — which starts in the first episode with the cow. Then you find out about the tunnels being dug and sulfur is going up into the air. It all builds toward this geologically realistic way of igniting the mountain, which now blacks out the sky for a very practical reason — Adar, our villain, sees the Orcs as his people and they deserve a home where the sun doesn’t torment them. We’re hoping it will take people by surprise.

    Patrick McKay

    Episode 6 moves the series that much closer to the creation of the Rings of Power and the One Ring. With Mordor and Mount Doom now on the map and the fates of many of the series’ main characters up in the air following the cliffhanger ending of Episode 6, it seems that the arrival of Sauron might not be too far off. Or perhaps, he’s been there all along…

    Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is now streaming on Amazon Prime.

  • REVIEW: ‘The Rings of Power’ – ‘Partings’ Has Hope on the Brain

    REVIEW: ‘The Rings of Power’ – ‘Partings’ Has Hope on the Brain

    “Of drink I have little
    And food I have less
    My strength tells me no
    But the path demands yes

    My legs are so short
    And the way is so long
    I’ve no rest nor comfort
    No comfort but song

    Sing to me, sing to me, lands far away
    Oh rise up and guide me this wandering day
    Please promise to find me this wandering day    “

    The Rings of Power begins its fifth episode, titled Partings, with a song sung by Megan Richards‘ Poppy Proudfellow. Called ‘This Wandering Day’, the tune is described in-universe as something Poppy’s mother once used to entertain herself whilst walking for days upon end with the other Harfoots. In the real world, however, the song comes across as much more than just a means of keeping the brain occupied. The lyrics, written by the maestro Bear McCreary, instead double as a metaphor for the theme of this week’s episode, and perhaps the entirety of the Lord of the Rings franchise – holding on to hope, even when all seems lost.

    The many plotlines of Partings all see their lead characters facing difficult choices. Robert Aramayo‘s Elrond must decide if he’s willing to break a personal oath for the sake of Elven kind, Nazanin Boniadi‘s Bronwyn is forced to watch as her people choose between the light and the dark, and the citizens of Númenor weigh the consequences of going to war. Yet, despite the dire stakes at hand in each story, the concept of a potentially brighter future looms larger than the tangible threats at hand. Thematically, it’s actually a welcome departure from the series’ previously doom-centric thought process. Partings feels like a lighter installment in the Rings of Power saga from the very get-go, which in turn makes it a bit easier to watch than the denser first quarter of the season.

    Of course, this doesn’t mean the episode is without it’s hardships. In a particularly action-packed sequence, Daniel Weyman‘s mysterious giant saves the Harfoots from a pack of monstrous wolves. In another, Joseph Mawle‘s Adar revels in making a villager kill a child to prove his newfound allegiance to Middle-earth’s darkest forces. This is, unfortunately, par for the course in J.R.R. Tolkien‘s land of fantasy. As Poppy’s song, and Markella Kavenagh‘s Nori Brandyfoot, explain, the path to peace is filled with perils, something true of both Middle-earth and the actual planet it was based on. Partings does a fantastic job of relaying this message to the audience. There will always be setbacks on the road to finding true happiness. A person who lets that stop them will never know the contentment they were hoping to find in the first place.

    That being said, the episode does also present a few problems for the series at large. One would think that with so much time to spend with the show’s vast collection of characters, fans would be able to care about more of them. Aside from a few standouts, many of the individuals getting screen time week-in and week-out are beginning to feel like they only exist to advance parts of the plot. The obvious leads of each arc are well-developed and fun to watch, but many of their smaller counterparts are beginning to mash together and become slightly forgettable. Hopefully, before the season ends, The Rings of Power will be able capitalize on a talented ensemble in the same way shows like Game of Thrones have done to capture audience’s attention.

    Until then, the series will likely continue to stand on its greatest strengths. As per usual, this week’s episode was gorgeous, and the effects were impeccable. A particularly memorable moment involved the origin of Middle-earth’s most precious metal, which was shown via striking slow-motion images and beautiful color contrast. Despite any problems one may have with the series, its thematic element is also undeniably riveting. It’s as rich as anything Tolkien wrote and as comforting to watch as anything Peter Jackson put to screen. For anyone who has yet to be hooked, take this week’s entry as a form of advice – the road may not be perfect, but maintain hope, and the finale might just pay everything off.

    At last comes their answer
    Through cold and through frost
    That not all who wonder or wander are lost
    No matter the sorrow
    No matter the cost
    That not all who wonder or wander are lost

  • REVIEW: ‘The Rings of Power’ – ‘The Great Wave’ Plants Plenty of Seeds for the Future

    REVIEW: ‘The Rings of Power’ – ‘The Great Wave’ Plants Plenty of Seeds for the Future

    The Rings of Power has returned, and this time, it’s looking toward the future. Unlike last week’s action-packed entry, this week’s episode – The Great Wave – is focused mainly on setting up arcs that will hopefully pay off later in the season. Galadriel and Elrond anchor two very solid plotlines in wildly differing locations, while Arondir comes face-to-face with a new threat and reconvenes with cohorts in trouble. It’s another wonderous journey into the depths of Middle-earth, supported heavily by more incredible visuals and some truly powerful acting. Like previous installments, the episode leaves the viewer wanting for more, and continues to open doors without closing them on the way out. Luckily for fans, it doesn’t look like The Rings of Power is going to run out of steam anytime soon.

    Much of The Great Wave plays out with a sense of foreboding. The episode’s title is literally taken from the visions had by Cynthia Addai-Robinson‘s Queen Regent Míriel, of Númenor’s disastrous fate. The great City of Men, she sees, is destined to be consumed by a great wave and sunk beneath the ocean, if the Queen Regent does not remove Morfydd Clark‘s Galadriel from the island post-haste. This opening scenario sets the tone for the whole shebang, as viewers begin to see similar vibes present in the other two major plotlines happening concurrently. In Khazad-dûm, Robert Aramayo‘s Elrond seeks to continue the bonding process with his old pal, Owain Arthur‘s Dwarven Prince Durin IV, but no matter how chummy they’re able to get, the idea of something more in the works keeps both of them on edge. Rounding out the episode, Ismael Cruz Córdova‘s Arondir is allowed to escape his captivity by Adar himself, but only under the condition he deliver a special message to the human survivors not far from danger.

    The titular “Great Wave” quickly becomes a metaphor for the paranoia spreading throughout all corners of Middle-earth. All characters are beginning to find themselves afraid of something. That fear, and the anxiety and greed that come with it, are the fuel that keeps The Rings of Power‘s fourth episode ticking. In a fun change of pace, the Lord of the Rings universe is allowed to feel more like a political thriller than a fantasy epic. Granted, it does still look and sound like a fantasy epic. In fact, this episode contains one of the most bone-chilling sequences of the series thus far, with Sophia Nomvete‘s Disa belting a gorgeously haunting musical number as the Dwarves perform an ancient prayer. It’s the show’s ability to switch so effortlessly between moments of grace and terror that keep it so refreshing week in and week out. On an added note – the grand reveal of Adar, an Elven-looking man portrayed by Joseph Mawle, was also expertly done. The flipping of expectations as to how Adar would appear was a wonderful surprise, and one that instantly makes the villain more intriguing.

    If there was to be any concern around The Rings of Power, it would have to be for its pacing. Of course, the Lord of the Rings franchise is not exactly known for its swift storytelling, but one has to wonder how long The Rings of Power will wait before it begins answering any of the multiple questions it’s lobbed into the air. It’s not a problem at the moment, but another episode or two of set up without pay off could lead to some viewers starting to tune out. For now, though, the series remains stellar, and viewers remain excited to see new batches of orcs show up on their screens every week.

  • REVIEW: ‘The Rings of Power’ – ‘Adar’ is Great, Gosh-Darn Television

    REVIEW: ‘The Rings of Power’ – ‘Adar’ is Great, Gosh-Darn Television

    The Rings of Power is really just great, gosh-darn television. With its third episode, titled Adar after the mysterious nasty fellow, Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings series has managed to grow beyond the awe-inspiring visuals of its dual premiere. It’s not simply the visuals, however, that put it above what fans have already seen. While the latest episodic entry is, in fact, quite gorgeous, what makes Adar so much better than A Shadow of the Past and Adrift is the way it doubles down on something perhaps far more important to a show than beauty. This week, The Rings of Power doses itself with intrigue, and the series as a whole has instantly become better for it.

    Aside from one major exclusion, Adar takes the plotlines set up in the show’s premiere episodes and sprints full speed ahead with them. Seeking to gain the upper hand on Sauron and his army, Galadriel finds herself captive in the Kingdom of Men alongside a charming stranger. With the Harfoots set to begin another migration, Nori learns the hard way that she is not the only one who must face the consequences of her actions. Now a prisoner of the orcs, Arondir and his Elven compatriots devise a plan to escape and warn Middle-earth of the coming dangers. Every storyline is as engaging as the last, which is an accomplishment not many series achieve on a weekly basis. The Rings of Power had some slow moments out of the gate, made bearable by the splendor of everything around them. This no longer seems to be the case.

    The common theme of Adar is imprisonment, in both a literal and metaphorical sense. All three plots deal with the concept in some way, and in expert fashion, they all bleed into each other thematically to keep the big picture a cohesive one. In Númenor, Galadriel pleads desperately to be let go and for help against Middle-earth’s greatest threat. Having lived for much longer than most, she is aware of how evil adapts so that it may survive. She knows that, even if Sauron has truly gone, there must be something growing in his wake. Men, on the other hand, refuse to change. They keep Galadriel prisoner without realizing they’ve imprisoned themselves in a cage of their own making. Through her experiences and that of Halbrand, it’s shown that man is unwilling to change in the same way as it’s hidden enemy, and therefore, is likely headed toward its downfall.

    This sentiment is echoed in the events surrounding the Harfoots. The merry band of travelers, led by Lenny Henry‘s Sadoc Burrows, spend much of the episode restating their methods of survival and long history of sacrifice. Sadoc sits in front of his people and lists the names of those left behind due to injury or tragic circumstance, with the underlying intention of scaring the Harfoots into obeying their own laws. Like the men, prisoners of their way of life. However, when Nori’s secret is revealed and Daniel Weyman‘s nameless giant emerges from the dark, her family is not left to rot as the men might have done. Instead, they are given a chance, and ultimately, further deviate from their traditions by including the giant on their journey, if only as a means of staying alive. In direct opposition to the previous plot, the Harfoots show that change is vital for growth.

    Arondir does not need to learn about change in Adar, but rather exists to demonstrate the severity of Middle-earth’s new big bad. Where the other plot lines comment on the nature of growth and self-imprisonment, this one puts an emphasis on why the men and Harfoots should be adapting in the first place. Orcs are always fun to watch, with their grimy faces and menacing growls, but this episode might have been the most fun they’ve been in a long time. Ismael Cruz Córdova gets to show off his action chops in an impressive escape sequence that also highlights the death and destruction that will soon be wrought upon the land. The baddies have not come to play, and they even brought a really cool monster dog to prove it.

    As any third episode should, Adar leaves audiences with more questions than answers. A brilliant, thought-provoking installment in the Lord of the Rings franchise, that ticks off every box of classic television storytelling on a budget of $1 billion. Next week promises to be another good outing, with plenty of teases left hanging in the air for Tolkien fanatics to pick apart for days on end. The biggest of which is probably the identity of the titular villain, whose blurred face seemed to resemble that of Sir Christopher Lee‘s Saruman the White. Until then, viewers can think on the one word they heard more than any other – Adar.

  • How the New Characters from ‘The Rings of Power’ Connect to Old Favorites from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy

    How the New Characters from ‘The Rings of Power’ Connect to Old Favorites from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy

    One of the best things about the new TV trend of returning to places we’ve visited is finding connections to the older projects. It worked really well in Bel-Air and Saved By The Bell, and now, two episodes into The Rings of Power, we can safely say that it feels like it will work even if we do not know for sure yet.

    The first two episodes have taken us back to places that feel familiar, but what is even cooler to see are characters who we meet here who will play a pivotal role thousands of years down the road in the fight against Sauron. In some cases, we are seeing what led to them being who they were when we first met them in either The Hobbit or the Lord of The Rings trilogies. And then there are brand new characters who, unless you have read Tolkien’s other Middle-earth pieces, are surprisingly connected to the more famous heroes of Middle-earth in different ways, including a LOTR veteran who we later see refuse a ring of power. 

    Galadriel and Elrond

    Given the role both of these characters play down the road, it makes sense to lump them together. It’s even cooler that the older version of these characters, two of the greatest heroes in Middle-earth, are played by Hela and Red Skull respectively, two of the greatest villains in Marveldom. Galadriel was very much resigned to her fate when we saw her in The Lord of the Rings, but The Rings of Power finds her seeking vengeance for the death of her brother at the hands of Sauron, who she believes is not gone. In the source material, she actually is not allowed to return home because she rebels with her own army of elves with plans to rule over Middle-earth, and there doesn’t seem to be any mention of that here. Elrond, meanwhile, is a friend to the Dwarves and their King in a way that he does not appear to be in the films. In fact, utter indifference is probably the best way to describe his attitude towards Gimli and the dwarves who come to Rivendell. He’s definitely learning how to scheme here, whereas the Elrond we meet later on is very much content with letting the world end: at least until his daughter shares that she’s given up her immortality. Elrond is afforded a sort of reverence in The Rings of Power that can be directly attributed to the source material in which his parents played a key role in defeating Morgoth.

    Gil-galad

    The High King of the Elves is actually only seen briefly in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, fighting next to Elrond and Isildur in the war against Sauron, but we are getting a lot of him here. In the source material, it should be noted that Sauron kills Gil-galad with his bare hands, so folks should not get too attached to a character that is highly respected and who has the most authority of any of the elves we meet.

    Prince Durin IV

    Prince Durin didn’t physically appear in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, so we are seeing him for the first time in The Rings of Power. However, it is his father, King Durin, who rules over what would later become the Mines of Moria. Yes, we know what you’re thinking: who rules over the mines? Well, dwarves did when the mines were actually the Kingdom of Khazad-dûm and that’s where the Balrog resides. Prince Durin is also present when the secret box is shown, and while we don’t see what is actually in it our bet is that it is mithril: mithril is what Frodo’s chainmail was made from, and what ultimately saves his life.

    Celebrimbor

    A name only whispered as a cautionary tale in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but one who plays a pivotal role in how we even get to the end of Peter Jackson’s labor of love. Celebrimbor, who can also be seen in the critically-acclaimed video game Shadow of War, ends up being tricked by Sauron into creating the titular rings of power, a plot point for which the wheels have already started turning. He is, also, the one who created the three elven rings in secret, so his role (while small right now) will expand as the show progresses.

    Elendil

    The sword of Elendil was reforged by Elrond and bestowed upon Aragorn so he could go into the mountains and return with a ghost army that had sworn an oath to the King of Men. Here, we meet the owner of THAT sword and the second to last King of Men. Elendil plays a pivotal role in Sauron’s defeat as well, as it is he who forges the last alliance between Elves and Men. He is not that person in The Rings of Power yet, but his ties to Aragorn and Numenor will most likely be explored further.

    Isildur

    The last King of Men, who both defeated Sauron AND allowed him to return by not destroying the ring. We last saw Isildur in The Fellowship of the Ring face down in a river with arrows in his back. He succumbed to the temptation of the One Ring and didn’t destroy it when he had the chance, but he is also who helps discover Gondor (a place that plays a pivotal role in the original trilogy).

  • ‘The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power’ Heading to Comic-Con

    ‘The Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power’ Heading to Comic-Con

    Middle-earth is heading back to Comic-Con International.

    Deadline has revealed that Prime Video is looking to bring The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power to Comic-Con. The forthcoming series, which will bring fans back to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved fantasy world, will hit Hall H this July along with showrunners J.D. Payne & Patrick McKay.

    The streamer looks to be going all out ahead of The Rings of Power’s debut this September. While it is unclear what Prime Video will debut during the Hall H presentation, one can assume footage will be debuted ahead of an appearance by some of the (massive) cast. The first season of The Rings of Power will cost Prime Video an astounding $462 million alone, that’s not accounting for the $250 million the streaming service paid back in 2017 for the television rights. 

    The series stars Cynthia Addai-Robinson (The Accountant), Robert Aramayo (The Empty Man), Owain Arthur, Maxim Baldry (Mr. Bean’s Holiday), Nazanin Boniadi (Homeland), Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Córdova (In the Blood), Charles Edwards (The Kingdom of Bones), and Trystan Gravelle(Anonymous). Also starring in the series is Sir Lenny Henry, Ema Horvath, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Lloyd Owen, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Charlie Vickers, Leon Wadham, Benjamin Walker, Daniel Weyman, and Sara Zwangobani.

    The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will debut on Prime Video on Sept. 2nd, 2022. The series is set in the Second Age of Middle-earth and takes place thousands of years before the events of the books and the movies. Like with most Prime Video titles, new episodes will be available weekly.

    Source: Deadline.

  • First Look at ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Anime Film; Eyeing 2024 Release

    First Look at ‘The Lord of the Rings’ Anime Film; Eyeing 2024 Release

    Here’s a surprising reveal out of left-field, but Variety has shared a first look at the upcoming original anime feature titled The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. It’s being produced by New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Animation and will release on April 21st, 2024. Blade Runner: Black Lotus producer Joseph Chou is working on the project through his studio Sola Entertainment with Kenji Kamiyama taking over directing duties.

    Here’s the first look at the upcoming anime, which will take place around two centuries before The Hobbit and is about the exploits of Helm Hammerhand, and the creation of Helm’s Deep. The Two Towers fans might be excited to explore the origins of this iconic location. it’s our first look at the film which was announced last year, but we’ll still have to wait a bit until we can watch it.

    The Lord of the Rings The

    The Middle Earth franchise has seen quite the revival with this anime prequel and the upcoming Amazon live-action series. Warner Bros. will be trying to make the best of it, especially as the franchise is currently for sale as well. Who knows if we also get some more announcements in the near future once a buyer has been found, who’ll definitely try to bank on its success.

    Source: Variety

  • BREAKING: Saul Zaentz Co. Looking for a Buyer of ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’s Film and Gaming Rights

    BREAKING: Saul Zaentz Co. Looking for a Buyer of ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’s Film and Gaming Rights

    Well, Hollywood is going to turn into a bidding war for the rights of Middle Earth, as Saul Zaentz Co. has decided to sell their Tolkien holdings. As such, it means the movie, merchandising, gaming and live events rights to his properties will go on sale. ACF Investment Bank is currently handling the sale with an estimated $2 billion as its current predicted value. The timing of course comes hot off the heels as Amazon started promoting their upcoming original series Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Amazon currently leading the pack on purchasing the rights, which is fitting given their current work.

    It’s quite the sell if any of the major names currently can get their hands on it. Netflix has been hunting franchise after franchise to create their own extended IP library. So, one of the most iconic fantasy franchises will definitely be on their radar yet given the close relationship, Amazon seems like the likeliest buyer.

    If you’re wondering why Warner Bros. isn’t involved, the rights returned to Zaentz Co. last year, as the rights ran out for not producing any projects involving the Tolkien books. It seems that the overall interest in developing more projects had sold the company on selling the rights, especially as Amazon made a deal directly with the Tolkien estate for their series.

    Source: Variety

  • Super Bowl LVI to Feature First Look at Amazon’s ‘Lord of the Rings’

    Super Bowl LVI to Feature First Look at Amazon’s ‘Lord of the Rings’

    This Sunday’s Super Bowl LVI will feature the first teaser for Amazon Prime’s upcoming Lord of the Rings streaming series, the most expensive show ever produced with a budget of $465M. The series, which will premier this fall, is set during Middle-earth’s second age (well before the timeline of either the Hobbit or Lord of the Rings films) and will focus on the rise to power of the evil Sauron. A previously released synopsis detailed what to expect.

    Amazon Studios’ forthcoming series brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history. This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and 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 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 re-emergence 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 furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.

    Amazon began marketing the streamer last week with a series of 20+ posters that teased the main characters, including one clad in black armor and sporting a nasty looking gauntlet who fans have theorized might be the Dark Lord Morgoth, the source of evil in Middle-earth. Hopefully the new teaser sheds some light on this and other mysteries about the show.

    Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will debut with an 8-episode first season this September and production has already begun on a second season of the series.

    Source: THR