Today on the Lord of the Rings on Prime’s official Twitter, a new still from the series and release date were dropped, faster and more shocking than Gandolf at the end of Fellowship of the Ring. “On September 2, 2022, a new journey begins” is all it says, with a picture of a person in a white cloak with his back to the camera, gazing upon a grand city in all its splendor.
In what is clearly a purposeful move, Amazon picked a date that is important to many fans of the books and movies. The date on which beloved author J.R.R. Tolkien passed away. A strong way to honor both the author and the legacy that he left behind.
As for the photo, there isn’t much to surmise, with the person too far to determine a character or face. But the sense from the photo is of the pure epicness and awe that this show is going to provide. Set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, the first season centers on the changes within the world as a new evil emerges in the vast landscape.
Those hoping for major crossovers with the movies with the potential for revisiting our favorite characters, the Second Age of Middle-earth is thousands of years prior to the events of both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings film trilogies. However, anything is possible when a world is as great and fantastical as that created by J.R.R. Tolkien.
On September 2, 2022, a new journey begins. pic.twitter.com/9tnR7WqDoA
— The Lord of the Rings on Prime (@LOTRonPrime) August 2, 2021
It feels like fans of Middle Earth have simply walked back into Mordor and back to when The Lord of the Rings show was announced by Amazon. Though as we know, one does not easily do that. Right, Boromir? The show was announced back in 2017 and branded one of the biggest gambles from a streaming service with a five-season commitment and a price tag of one billion dollars. A hefty price tag for a show, but Amazon along with Tolkien’s estate and trust, in conjunction with HarperCollins, and New Line Cinema (the studio behind the franchise’s trilogy) decided to take a gamble and pushed forward.
Filming began on the series in February 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand, similar to the filming location for the film series. Production was halted in March of the same year due to the pandemic but began anew in September.
Information has been scarce over the past few years, which isn’t that surprising for a show that takes place in one of the most successful franchises of the past century. In 2018 creative partners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay were brought on to develop the streaming series, which was a smart choice with their strong knowledge of franchise-building. Payne and McKay have been working together for over twenty years and have written over 15 screenplays together which indicates a strong working relationship and the ability to create worlds and stories that captivate audiences.
Together, Payne and McKay’s skills were utilized to spruce up (though uncredited) Star Trek Beyond, a strong entry in the wildly successful Star Trek film series. As well, they wrote the script for Jungle Cruise, the newest film from Disney starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. Which if you haven’t seen it yet, you should, because it gives us a sense of the adventure and excitement that will be present in The Lord of the Rings series when it finally debuts on Amazon Prime. And thankfully we don’t have much longer to wait until we can dive once more into the shire.
Are you excited to finally be able to see the newest entry in the LOTR franchise? If you don’t have Amazon Prime does this help push you to take the plunge? Personally, I can’t wait to be able to see what they finally have in store for us fans.
The Lord of the Rings series streams on September 2, 2022, exclusively on Prime Video.
