The Lord of the Rings prequel show begins with a double episode.
To call The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power highly anticipated is an almighty understatement. The show, into which Amazon Studios have reportedly sunk a considerable fortune, launches at the start of September.
Just as a reminder, here’s the synopsis:
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history. This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and one of the greatest villains that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness.
Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared reemergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the farthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.
With a five-season plan, it’s on course to be the most expensive show ever. However, this first run consists of eight episodes.
Really specific launch times
Prime Video have now confirmed that the show begins with a double episode release. For UK fans, it arrives at 2 am on Friday, September 2nd.
Subsequent episodes will land weekly on Fridays at 5 am, with the season finale landing on October 14th. For other time zones, you can check out the press release.
“A privilege and a responsibility”
Despite spending an estimated $468 million on the first season alone, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos feels the show transcends financial concerns. In a statement to TIME, who have a big feature on the show, the Amazon founder and CEO said:
“Middle-earth is such a beloved world, and telling the story of the forging of the Rings of Power is a privilege and a responsibility. I hope we do Tolkien’s work justice. It goes beyond making a commercially successful show. Everyone working on the show read these stories as kids and our hearts are in it.”
Speaking at a Television Critics Association panel, Co-showrunner and executive producer J.D. Payne talks about the show Tolkien roots:
“It’s based on the appendices which come at the end of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and then also, poems and songs and stories and half whispered rumors and histories that are found scattered throughout the text. Tolkien is sort of a treasure hunt where there are some places where he’ll give little summaries and you’ll get bits, but often it’s a whispered thing that someone will say and a little nugget there, and a little nugget there.”
So, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power lands on Prime Video in the UK on Friday 2nd September. We’ll keep you posted.