Everything You Need to Know About 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Series

Lord of the Rings is heading to the small screen, my precious! Prime Video's highly anticipated series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is finally set to premiere more than four years after Amazon acquired the TV rights to J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.

"The Rings of Power unites all the major stories of Middle-earth's Second Age: the forging of the rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, the epic tale of Númenor, and the Last Alliance of Elves and Men," showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay previously said in a press release. "Until now, audiences have only seen on-screen the story of the One Ring—but before there was one, there were many... and we're excited to share the epic story of them all.”

The series is said to be the most expensive TV show ever made with the first season reportedly costing about $468 million. So, just what can fans expect? Nazanin Boniadi, who plays Bronwyn, told Parade.com, "It's a healthy balance of the familiar with an injection, a massive injection of new exciting things that people haven't seen onscreen before. Coastlines, Númenor, but also a diverse cast and I say that because a fellowship of various creatures and cultures and creeds that is represented onscreen, I think it's timely and timeless to have it be represented by a group of people from various backgrounds. And I think that matters to a lot of us."

Morfydd Clark, who plays Galadriel, described the series as "vast." Though The Rings of Power may be "really vast," Charlie Vickers, who plays Halbrand, told Parade.com that "at its core, it has the element of fantasy and high fantasy, but at its core, it's stories of friendship and love and hope and things we can all really relate to."

Before our journey to Middle-earth begins, here is everything we know about The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power...

When will The Lord of the Rings series premiere?

Mark your calendars because the series premieres at 6 p.m. PDT and 9 p.m. EDT on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2022.

How to watch The Lord of the Rings series

The Rings of Power will be available exclusively on Prime Video.

Will all of The Rings of Power episodes be released at once?

Don't expect to binge the series in one sitting the day it premieres. Only the first two episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will drop worldwide on Sept. 2. The remaining episodes will be released weekly.

When is The Rings of Power Season 1 finale?

The Season 1 finale will air Oct. 14, 2022.

When does The Lord of the Rings series take place?

The series is "set thousands of years before the events" of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

Is there a trailer for The Lord of the Rings series?

The first official teaser trailer debuted during the 2022 Super Bowl. Within the first 24 hours of its release, the teaser garnered 257 million online views worldwide, according to Prime Video.

The final official trailer dropped on Aug. 23 ahead of the premiere. Watch the epic trailer below:

Related: Shows Like Outlander

Who is in The Rings of Power cast?

The Rings of Power's ensemble cast 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, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Lloyd Owen, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Charlie Vickers, Leon Wadham, Benjamin Walker, Daniel Weyman and Sara Zwangobani.

“The world that J.R.R. Tolkien created is epic, diverse, and filled with heart. These extraordinarily talented performers, hailing from across the globe, represent the culmination of a multi-year search to find brilliant and unique artists to bring that world to life anew," Payne and McKay said in a previous statement. "The international cast of Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings series is more than just an ensemble. It is a family. We are thrilled to welcome each of them to Middle-earth.”

LOTR fans will be familiar with some characters like Galadriel, who was played by Cate Blanchett in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies. Clark is portraying a younger version of the legendary elven commander in the Prime Video series. Ahead of the premiere, the actress told Parade.com, "I've just been really inspired by her for kind of 20 years since the films, which introduced me to Cate Blanchett. And yeah, she's an inspiration and [I] still have to pinch myself that I'm sharing a character with her to some degree."

Below are character descriptions released by Prime Video:

Galadriel (Morfydd Clark): A legendary elven commander

Elrond (Robert Aramayo): An ambitious young elven statesman

Celebrimbor (Charles Edwards): A gifted elven craftsman

Gil-Galad (Benjamin Walker): High King of the elves

Durin IV (Owain Arthur): A dwarven prince; Disa’s husband

Disa (Sophia Nomvete): A dwarven princess; Durin’s wife

Elanor "Nori" Brandyfoot (Markella Kavenagh): An adventurous young Harfoot girl

Poppy Proudfellow (Megan Richards): Nori’s best friend and sometimes accomplice

The Stranger (Daniel Weyman): A figure with mysterious, potentially dangerous, powers

Largo Brandyfoot (Dylan Smith): Patriarch of the Brandyfoot Harfoot family

Marigold Brandyfoot (Sara Zwangobani): Matriarch of the Brandyfoot Harfoot family

Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova): A Silvan elf soldier

Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi): A human healer and single mother

Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin) Bronwyn’s young son

Halbrand (Charlie Vickers): A human shipwreck survivor looking for a new beginning

Eärien (Ema Horvath): A Númenórean young woman; Isildur’s sister

Elendil (Lloyd Owen): A Númenórean sea captain; Isildur and Eärien’s father

Míriel (Cynthia Addai-Robinson): Queen-Regent of Númenor

Pharazôn (Trystan Gravelle): Advisor to the Queen-Regent of Númenor

Isildur (Maxim Baldry): A young Númenórean man with wanderlust

Kemen (Leon Wadham): A young Númenórean politico; Pharazôn’s son

Related: Best Star Wars Quotes

What is The Lord of the Rings series about?

The prequel series is "based on The Lord of the Rings and Appendices by J.R.R. Tolkien." According to show's official description, The Rings of Power will bring "the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth's history" to screens for the first time."

The Lord of the Rings series will begin "in a time of relative peace" and will follow an ensemble cast of characters "as they confront the long-feared reemergence of evil to Middle-earth."

The show 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 the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness. 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," per Prime Video.

How many episodes of The Rings of Power will there be in Season 1?

Season 1 consists of eight episodes.

Will there be a Rings of Power Season 2?

The Rings of Power is a multi-season drama. In 2019 while pre-production on the first season was underway, Variety reported that the series had been renewed for a second season. Amazon Studios announced in 2021 that Season 2 will film in the United Kingdom.

Next, here's what we know about the Games of Thrones prequel series!