Amazon has wrapped filming on its upcoming Lord of the Rings series and finally set a release date. The unnamed series will premiere on Amazon Prime Video Friday, September 2, 2022, with new episodes rolling out weekly. Amazon also unveiled a first look image along with the date announcement.
The new epic drama brings to screens for the very first time J.R.R. Tolkien’s fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history. Beginning in a time of relative peace, thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books, 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.
“The journey begins September 2, 2022 with the premiere of our original The Lord of the Rings series on Prime Video,” said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios. “I can’t express enough just how excited we all are to take our global audience on a new and epic journey through Middle-earth! Our talented producers, cast, creative, and production teams have worked tirelessly in New Zealand to bring this untold and awe-inspiring vision to life.”
Previously announced cast members include Years and Years actor Maxim Baldry taking a large role, as well as Morfydd Clark who plays Sister Clara in the TV series His Dark Materials. The series will also feature Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Maxim Baldry, 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.
Amazon has already confirmed a season 2 and has rights to five seasons, so you’ll have plenty to binge watch when it does get released. The first season is set to have a whopping 20 episodes with an assumed 40-60 minutes apiece. Amazon has invested heavily in this project. After beating out Netflix with a $250 million deal for rights to the series, rumors have been circulating that the entire project will surpass $1 billion, making it the most expensive TV series in history.