The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Release Date, Plot, Cast, and More

One of the most influential fantasy worlds of all time is back again! We are yet to find out if it’s both bigger and better, but we do know it is the most expensive adaptation of Tolkien ever made. Here is everything we know about The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is a fantasy television series based on the appendices of The Lord of the Rings by late English author, J.R.R Tolkien. The adventure show was created for Amazon Prime by J.D Payne and Patrick McKay, who are also executive producers on the show. In the list of executive producers, we also see familiar names like Lindsey Weber, Callum Green, Gennifer Hutchison, and Justine Doble.

The television rights for this show were auctioned to the highest bidder, Amazon, for US$250 million back in 2017. Amazon then set a budget of US$1 billion for five seasons of The Rings of Power, which is the most expensive budget for a television series in history. Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon himself, was unusually involved in this deal because he is a huge fan of The Lord of the Rings franchise.

Amazon Studios and New Line Cinema are the production companies involved in The Rings of Power. The Tolkien Estate was also consulted through Tolkien’s grandson, Simon Tolkien, who was involved in developing the series. The first season of The Rings of Power began filming in New Zealand in February 2020 and wrapped up in 2021. Due to COVID-19, there was a long break between these dates. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was finally released to the public on September 1, 2022.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Plot

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Plot
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Plot

The Rings of Power takes off thousands of years before The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings takes place. In the first episode, we meet Galadriel, a warrior elf who had previously been displaced from her home, Valinor, by the villain, Morgoth. Galadriel and her brother, Finrod, were forced to move to another realm called Middle-earth after their home was destroyed. In The Rings of Power Episode 1, we see the eventual defeat of Morgoth, which also leads to the death of Finrod. Morgoth’s army, led by Morgoth’s servant, Sauron, spread across Middle-earth. Vengeful and angry, Galadriel begins a quest to find Sauron.

Galadriel does not get far in her quest when she hears the news that the forces of Morgoth have been destroyed in Valinor. The High King of the Elves, Gil-galad, has granted her and her companion permission to return home with honor. She is convinced to turn her back on the quest, but that only lasts a short moment. Near the end of episode 1, we see Galadriel jump into the Sundering Seas, planning to swim back to Middle-earth and continue her search for Sauron.

In The Rings of Power Episode 2, Galadriel meets the only survivor of a shipwreck, a human called Halbrand, who was on the run from Orcs. They team up to survive the Sundering Seas. Note that a whole lot of other things are happening parallel to the journey of Galadriel. Tolkien’s world is large, and the plot of The Rings of Power is more complex than the journey of Galadriel herself. However, we know that whatever major event occurs at the end of the fantasy series, the leading lady, Galadriel will be involved.

In episode 3, we see Galadriel and Halbrand in the kingdom of men, Numenor. By episode 5, Galadriel has convinced the Numenoreans to wage war against the Orcs in the Southlands of Middle-earth. Only five episodes of The Rings of Power have been released, and we have already seen betrayals, deaths, forbidden love, secrets, and battle plans. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is a large world to get immersed in.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Cast

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Cast
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Cast

Like The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings before it, The Rings of Power has a very large international cast. The female lead character, an elf known as Galadriel, is played by Welsh actress, Morfydd Clark. American actor and comedian, Benjamin Walker, was cast as Gil-galad, the High King of the Elves.

In The Rings of Power, Gil-galad and Galadriel were the two people who first felt evil rising in Middle-earth. Halbrand, a human whose fate is connected to Galadriel’s, is played by upcoming British actor, Charlie Vickers. Other actors and actresses in the main cast are Ismael Cruz Cordoza, Markella Kavenagh, Nazanin Boniadi, Megan Richards, Sara Zwangobani, and many others. You will have to watch the show to meet them all.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Release Date

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Release Date
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Release Date

Episodes 1 and 2 of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premiered on September 1, 2022. Before then, in August, the two episodes made their debut in screening events, which took place in five major cities: Los Angeles, London, Mumbai, Mexico City, and New York City.

Here are the release dates for all eight episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power:

  • Episode 1 and Episode 2: September 1, 2022
  • Episode 3: September 9, 2022
  • Episode 4: September 16, 2022
  • Episode 5: September 23, 2022
  • Episode 6: September 30, 2022
  • Episode 7: October 7, 2022
  • Episode 8: October 14, 2022

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power also has an aftershow titled Inside the Ring: LOTR: The Rings of Power. The aftershow was unveiled on September 3, 2022. It features the cast and crew of LOTR: The Rings of Power in interviews, special footage, and insights into moments behind the scene. The interviews are hosted by Dominic Patten, and Anthony D’Alessandro, senior editor and editorial director at Deadline Hollywood respectively. An episode of the aftershow is released after each episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power drops on Prime Video.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Ratings

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Ratings
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Ratings

With a 6.9/10 rating on IMDb, 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, and 7/10 on IGN, the television series is not doing as well as The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings film series. However, since the billion-dollar TV series was created to be independent of these film series, the ratings do not need to be compared. With its stunning visuals and a new take on the Lord of the Rings world, the ratings stand a chance of increasing. Many LOTR fans and review sites are giving the show five stars already.

Where to Watch The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?

New episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power are released weekly on Amazon Prime Video. Amazon Prime Video is available in over 200 countries and territories. Wherever you are, the chances are you can stream The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Prime Video without a VPN. Each episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is about one hour long.

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