Here’s Everything We Know About Amazon Prime’s ‘Lord Of The Rings’ TV Series
One article to rule them all (facts and theories!)
Ever since Amazon forked out $250 million for the rights to Lord of the Rings we’ve had a pipe in hand puzzling over what they’re going to do with Middle Earth.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Amazon must make five seasons of a television series set in Middle Earth and it must go into production within two years. The Tolkien Estate signed the deal in April 2018 so the clock is ticking to make this thing and the budget is expected to be in the billions.
There were rumours the show would be an adaptation of The Silmarillion, Tolkien’s book (published posthumously) that details life in Middle Earth way, way, way before the events of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. Then there was word it would be a show that focuses on a young Aragorn possibly swinging around swords while shirtless and breaking hearts in Rivendell.
You can take to those rumours with an axe because we know how this series will go down.
Update: 4th July 2019
According to Deadline, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom director Juan Antonio Bayona has been brought on to direct the first two episodes of the epic fantasy drama.
“J.R.R. Tolkien created one of the most extraordinary and inspiring stories of all time, and as a lifelong fan it is an honor and a joy to join this amazing team,” said Bayona in an interview. “I can’t wait to take audiences around the world to Middle-earth and have them discover the wonders of the Second Age, with a never-before-seen story.”
Bayona also will executive produce Lord of the Rings, alongside his producing partner Belén Atienza.
The Lord of the Rings series is written by feature scribes JD Payne and Patrick McKay, alongside a a writers room of talent believed to include Breaking Bad alumna Gennifer Hutchison and Game of Thrones veteran Bryan Cogman, among others.
“We are thrilled to have J.A. and Belén joining the fellowship as we continue to develop this epic series,” said Payne and McKay. “We have been great admirers of J.A.’s work for years, and know that his epic, cinematic and deeply heartfelt aesthetic is the perfect sensibility to bring Middle-earth to life anew.”
Today, Amazon made their plans for the Lord of the Rings TV series official with a map and five words that drove fans wild: welcome to the Second Age.
Welcome to the Second Age: https://t.co/Tamd0oRgTw
— The Lord of the Rings on Prime (@LOTRonPrime) March 7, 2019
What Is The Second Age?
The second age take place thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.
The best way to put the timeline in context is the opener of the film The Fellowship of the Ring, which depicts the end of the second age with the defeat of Sauron and his famously powerful ring that goes walkabout.
With this knowledge it’s highly likely we’re going to see how Sauron — start dream casting now — possibly in Maiar form (they look like humans but are higher beings, like angels), becomes corrupted and rises to power.
In this new LORD OF THE RINGS series, I have provided the four ideal options of who should play Sauron.
YOU MAY CHOOSE AMONG THESE FOUR.
— Anthony Oliveira (@meakoopa) March 8, 2019
There’s lots going on here including how Sauron builds an army in Mordor, the creation of the rings of power and how all the royal families get manipulated. There’s also a chance we’ll witness how Sauron dabbles in necromancy and turns himself in a heavy metal album cover with legs.
Focusing on the second age is an exciting prospect because the series can take its time with establishing all the key players and examine the political moves Sauron makes to get people to bend to his will. The news is a relief, too, because Amazon seem to be focused on expanding the story in the gaps we’ve never seen depicted in the film series.
Basically, the forecast for Middle Earth: doom.
What’s The Go With The Map?
Amazon’s major reveal is a map of Middle Earth, but if you pay close attention most of the significant locations in the series aren’t listed.
That’s because we’re looking at what Middle Earth looked like during the second and third age.
Fans are already speculating Amazon may even jump back further in Middle Earth’s history with flashbacks. The biggest clue is the presence of the island Númenor.
Without turning into the Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons it’s an island that’s like the Pompeii of Middle Earth, and guess who hangs out on Númenor? Your boy, Sauron.
Númenor is referenced by Tolkien as the greatest civilisation of men, but the island ends up getting destroyed along with most of the population. The survivors of the disaster become refugees and wash up on the mainland of Middle Earth with the teachings of Sauron on their mind.
Studying this map is our life now and we’ve noticed that there’s plenty of land available for where Mordor will eventually pop up and it’s going to be fascinating to see how the geography morphs into what we know in Lord of the Rings over the course of the TV series. There’s even speculation the whole series could be set on Númenor before moving to the mainland of Middle Earth in subsequent seasons.
It’s an exciting time to be a Lord of the Rings fan.
The series is planned to hit Amazon Video by 2021.
We’re going to keep this updated with new information, so stay tuned!
Cameron Williams is a writer and film critic based in Melbourne who occasionally blabs about movies on ABC radio. He has a slight Twitter addiction: @MrCamW.