TV Lord of the Rings to Launch September 2022

Overnight Amazon Prime Video revealed it would stream season one episodes of its Lord of the Rings prequel weekly from 2 September 2022 and released its first still from the NZ-based production.

Filming wrapped yesterday of the “epic drama” that’s been shooting here since February 2020, subject to COVID-19 interruptions.

It’s set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, thousands of years before the events of the Lord of the Rings films, and is the first time this era of JRR Tolkien’s fantasy has been depicted on screen.

“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.”

Amazon paid nearly $US250 million for the TV rights to Rings and has committed about $US1 billion to a five-season adaptation, its costliest commission yet.

The cast of the still-to-be-entitled series includes Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Maxim Baldry, Nazanin Boniadi, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Charles Edwards, Trystan Gravelle, Sir Lenny Henry, Ema Horvath, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Lloyd Owen, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Charlie Vickers, Leon Wadham, Benjamin Walker, Daniel Weyman, and Sara Zwangobani.