Amazon Studios used the Super Bowl to debut the first teaser trailer for their highly anticipated upcoming series “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” which you can now watch online. The teaser unveils the very first footage from the wildly expensive TV series, which premieres Sept. 2 and takes place during the Second Age of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic “Lord of the Rings” story – thousands of years before the events of “The Lord of the Rings” or “The Hobbit.”
Indeed, this first teaser drills down the when of this “Lord of the Rings” series by teasing a new story set “Before the King,” “Before the Fellowship” and “Before the Ring.” But just because this is technically a prequel series doesn’t mean it’s devoid of characters that might be known to fans of the books or Peter Jackson films.
The nearly immortal elves Elrond (Robert Aramayo) and Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) are part of the vast ensemble of “The Rings of Power” and appear in this trailer, although these versions of the characters are quite younger and different than the ones we know from “The Lord of the Rings.” While Amazon is being tight-lipped about who plays who, other confirmed cast members and characters who appear in this trailer include Owain Arthur as Prince Durin IV, Sophia Nomvete as Princess Disa, Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir and Charlie Vickers as Halbrand.
The large ensemble of “The Rings of Power” is made up both of characters found within Tolkien’s books and new characters created specifically for this epic show. The basis for the series was The Appendices, which Tolkien wrote to flesh out the world and characters of his epic novels.
Planned as a multi-season series, “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” is due to release exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in weekly format starting on Sept. 2 of this year, in more than 240 countries and territories around the world in multiple languages, so there’s still quite some time to wait before fans get to behold entire episodes. J.D. Payne & Patrick McKay serve as showrunners, while the series was directed by executive producers J.A. Bayona and Charlotte Brändström and co-executive producer Wayne Che Yip.
Described as an epic drama, the official synopsis promises that 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 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.”
The cast for “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” 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, Joseph Mawle, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Lloyd Owen, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Charlie Vickers, Leon Wadham, Benjamin Walker, Daniel Weyman, and Sara Zwangobani.
