In recent years, TV has come to experience something of a Golden Age. Where it used to be the case that Hollywood A-listers and enviable directors were committed only to the action blockbuster or Oscar-worthy flick, they have since been drawn to the small screen thanks to exorbitant budgets offered by streaming services and scripts that offer depth of character and a convincing narrative arc. While there has been no shortage of entertaining options of late, such as The Bear, Succession and House of Dragon, few shows have ever been quite as anticipated as The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
The new series brings the imaginative powers of J.R.R. Tolkien to new heights. But while based on a collection of appendices, show runners Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne have been quick to assure fans that the show was only ever approached with great respect and a duty of care, knowing just how long the fanbase had waited for such a viewing experience and how revered the source material is. As they expressed, the series tries to stay as true as possible to Tolkien’s visions of Arda and Middle-earth.
“We feel that this story isn’t ours,” said McKay. “It’s a story we’re stewarding that was here before us and was waiting in those books to be on Earth. We don’t feel ‘vaguely connected.’ We feel deeply, deeply connected to those folks and work every day to be even closer connected. That’s really how we think about it.”
He added, “We think about [Tolkien], his life’s work was creating this world. This is Tolkien’s Middle-earth and regions beyond Middle-earth and we just wanted to be true to that…Tolkien’s work is endlessly applicable across cultures and across times, and we feel really grateful to be able to bring it to life in our time.”
As fans countdown to the series premiere, here’s everything you need to know about The Rings of Power and how you can watch it here in Australia.
Where can you watch The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power in Australia?
The new series will be available to stream on Amazon Prime. The first two episodes of the new series drop at 11am AEST on Friday, September 2.
What is The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power about?
While much of the show has been kept quiet, including the characters involved, show runners have offered a synopsis of the series and even hinted that it could last for five seasons. As they detailed: “The Rings of Power brings to screens for the 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 the greatest villain 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 furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.”
Who stars in Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?
There’s a lot to be excited about in terms of the new series, including the acting talent it encapsulates. The cast includes the likes of Spartacus’s Simon Merrels and Welsh actress Morfydd Clark. There’s also Cynthia Addai-Robinson who has starred in Arrow, and the likes of British actors Lenny Henry and Maxim Baldry.
