What you need to know about The Lord of The Rings - The Rings of Power before watching
Amazon's long-awaited television adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings - The Rings of Power is finally coming to Prime Video this Friday, 2 September. A number of interesting tidbits have been released surrounding the series, including its hefty US$450 million budget for the first show, and Amazon ordering the second season of the series, much to the delight of fans around the world.
We understand that there are a number of burning questions surrounding the series, so here's everything you need to know about Amazon's The Lord of the Rings - The Rings of Power.
Do I need to read the books in order before watching the series?
The series is set thousands of years before the events of director Peter Jackson's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, so audiences new to the franchise will not have to watch the movies or read the books to understand the series.
How many episodes are there in Season One?
There are eight episodes in total.
Is the series a prequel?
The Rings of Power takes place thousands of years before the events of The Lord of The Rings, so yes this is a prequel. Amazon is following a time in Middle-earth, known as the Second Age. We will follow the journey of elven warrior Galadriel (who was portrayed by Cate Blanchett in the movies), played by Welsh actress Morfydd Clark, as she leaves Valinor for Middle-earth to find her purpose.
Who directed the series?
The series is led by showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay. They are joined by executive producers Lindsey Weber, Callum Greene, J.A. Bayona, Belén Atienza, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, Gennifer Hutchison, Bruce Richmond, and Sharon Tal Yguado, and producers Ron Ames and Christopher Newman. Wayne Che Yip is co-executive producer and directs, along with J.A. Bayona and Charlotte Brändström.
Who is in the cast?
38 cast members have been announced to date. Here are the actors you can expect to see throughout Season One: Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Maxim Baldry, Ian Blackburn, Nazanin Boniadi, Beau Cassidy, Kip Chapman, Morfydd Clark, Anthony Crum, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Maxine Cunliffe, Charles Edwards, Will Fletcher, Trystan Gravelle, Lenny Henry, Ema Horvath, Thusitha Jayasundera, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Simon Merrells, Fabian McCallum, Geoff Morrell, Tyroe Muhafidin, Peter Mullan, Sophia Nomvete, Lloyd Owen, Augustus Prew, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Peter Tait, Alex Tarrant, Charlie Vickers, Amelie Child-Villiers, Leon Wadham, Benjamin Walker, Daniel Weyman, and Sara Zwangobani.
Where was The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power filmed?
Season One of the Prime Video series was filmed in New Zealand during the COVID-19 pandemic.
How to watch The Rings of Power?
Amazon will debut the first two episodes of the series on 2 September (timezone-dependent), before switching to one episode per week.
If you don't have an account with Amazon, don't fret; you can register for a 30-day trial at amazon.sg/tryprimefree.
Prime is S$2.99 per month and this covers Prime Shopping as well.
