Amazon’s upcoming Lord of the Rings series synopsis teases the setting of the new story.
It’s been known for some time now that Amazon Studios have acquired the TV rights to the Lord Of The Rings franchise and is developing a series that would be taking a deep dive into the history of Middle Earth, along with the heroes and villains of its past. Fans have been waiting patiently to get an idea of what the new Middle-earth show will be about and finally we have new news to share.
Many studios and streaming services are all currently shaping their own fantasy series, Netflix already began a franchise with The Witcher, while The Chronicles of Narnia and Shadow & Bone are in the works. Disney+ has Percy Jackson series in development and HBO has a Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon.
Prime Video gave a multi-season commitment worth at least $1 billion for the Lord of the Rings series, that was said to be for five seasons, with 8 to 10 episodes per season. Along with the the possibility of creating a spin-off series as well. This would make it the most expensive television series ever. J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay will serve as showrunners and it’s set before the events of the Lord of the Rings novel and films.
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The official synopsis for the highly-anticipated Lord of the Rings series has been revealed by TheOneRing.net, revealing new details about the epic drama including its setting. The synopsis teases that fans can expect to see appearances from some familiar characters as well as the return of a long-feared evil.
The series will be set in the Second Age, placing approximately 3000 years of history between the series and the beginning of The Lord of the Rings. Casual fans may not realize it, but Peter Jackson’s Fellowship of the Rings actually depicted the end of the Second Age, when the last alliance of elves and men confronted Sauron’s forces.
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The Second Age covers nearly 3,441 years, and it began after the banishment of Morgoth, the dark lord before Sauron. A lot of story potential can be overseen in that time, including the rise of Sauron, the creation of the One Ring, and the emergence of the Ringwraiths.
Official Amazon Studio’s Lord of the Rings Synopsis
“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.”
With a huge and diverse ensemble cast, the Lord of the Rings franchise returns to the original, beautiful filming locations of New Zealand to explore the history behind the beloved world created by J.R.R. Tolkien, making this a highly anticipated series. Amazon is hoping it will be a huge hit and generate buzz compared to the scale of HBO’s Game of Thrones.
Till now, Amazon has so far announced the following cast members for the Lord of the Rings series: Robert Aramayo (Game of Thrones), Joseph Mawle (Game of Thrones), Maxim Baldry (Years and Years), Markella Kavenagh (The Cry), Ema Horvath (What Lies Below) and Morfydd Clark (Saint Maud). Clark will portray the role of a young Galadriel, who was portrayed in the films by Cate Blanchett, which is the first confirmed major character that will be featured in the show.
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Lord of the RIngs also feature Tom Budge, Owain Arthur, Nazanin Boniadi, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, and Charlie Vickers. With last month’s announcement, the ensemble has further grown with the additions of Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Ian Blackburn, Kip Chapman, Anthony Crum, Maxine Cunliffe, Trystan Gravelle, Sir Lenny Henry, Thusitha Jayasundera, Fabian McCallum, Simon Merrells, Geoff Morrell, Peter Mullan, Lloyd Owen, Augustus Prew, Peter Tait, Alex Tarrant, Leon Wadham, Benjamin Walker, and Sara Zwangobani.
Filming for Lord of the Rings begins this month on back-to-back seasons in New Zealand. J.A. Bayona was hired to direct the two-part pilot and set the tone for the entire series to come. The pilot has completed filming last year and is currently in post-production. No release date has been set yet, but the first eight-episode season is currently expected/hoped to premiere on the streaming service sometime in 2021.
What do you want to see in Amazon’s The Lord Of The Rings series? Do you think this series has a chance of becoming the next big thing in the fantasy genre? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or on our social media and be sure to come back to The Illuminerdi for more TV news.
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Source: ComingSoon
