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The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power 2022

TV series · 76 min · English · September 1, 2022

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Starring Morfydd Clark, Lenny Henry, Sara Zwangobani, Dylan Smith, Markella Kavenagh

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is a 2026 American fantasy television series created by J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay for the streaming platform Amazon Prime Video. It draws from J. R. R. Tolkien's history of Middle-earth, especially content found in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings (1954–55). This series is set many centuries before the events of the novel and follows key occurrences during Middle-earth’s Second Age. Amazon MGM Studios produces it in partnership with New Line Cinema.

Amazon secured the television rights to The Lord of the Rings from the Tolkien Estate in November 2017, committing to a five-season format valued at least . This made it the most expensive television series ever produced. Payne and McKay were brought on in July 2018 for their first credited work. They developed a narrative that connects Second Age elements from the appendices with new content, working closely with the estate and Tolkien experts. As part of Amazon’s agreement with the estate, this series does not continue Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003) or The Hobbit (2012–2014) film trilogies. However, producers aimed to reflect those films through shared visual design, younger versions of characters, and a main theme composed by Howard Shore, who scored both trilogies. Bear McCreary wrote the series’ original music.

A significant international cast was assembled, and filming for the first season’s eight episodes occurred in New Zealand, where the movies were made, from February 2020 to August 2021. The production faced a break of several months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Amazon relocated future seasons to the United Kingdom: the second season filmed from October 2022 to June 2023, wrapping up during the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike; and the third season began by May 2025 and concluded by mid-December. A fourth season is currently in development, with filming scheduled to start in early 2027.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power debuted on September 1, 2022. Its first season, released through October, became the most-watched Prime Video original series. Critics generally responded positively, especially praising its visual effects and world-building, though there were critiques regarding writing and pacing. Audience feedback included strong reactions from Tolkien enthusiasts and online backlash over the diverse casting. The second season, which aired from August to October 2024, had lower viewership, a similar critical response, but an improved reception from fans. The third season is scheduled for release in November 2026.

Cast

Crew

Developer
J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay
Producer
Ron Ames, Chris Newman
Executive producer
J. D. Payne, Patrick McKay, Lindsey Weber, Callum Greene, Justin Doble, Gennifer Hutchison, Jason Cahill, J. A. Bayona, Belén Atienza, Eugene Kelly, Bruce Richmond, Sharon Tal Yguado
Music
Bear McCreary

Details

Production
Amazon MGM Studios, New Line Cinema
Network
Amazon Prime Video

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