Jump to content

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from The Rings of Power)
"The Rings of Power" redirects here. For the titular fictional artifacts, see Rings of Power. For other uses, see Rings of Power (disambiguation).

The Lord of the Rings:
The Rings of Power
The series' title, "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power", in glowing gold letters in front of sparkling dust.
Title card for the first season
Genre
Based onThe Lord of the Rings and appendices
by J. R. R. Tolkien
Developed byJ. D. Payne
Patrick McKay
Showrunners
  • J. D. Payne
  • Patrick McKay
Theme music composerHoward Shore
ComposerBear McCreary
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes16
Production
Executive producers
Producers
  • Ron Ames
  • Chris Newman
  • Kate Hazell
  • Helen Shang
Production locations
  • New Zealand
  • United Kingdom
Running time61–76 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkAmazon Prime Video
ReleaseSeptember 1, 2022 (2022-09-01) –
present

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is an American fantasy television series developed by J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay for the streaming service Amazon Prime Video. It is based on J. R. R. Tolkien's history of Middle-earth, primarily material from the appendices of the novel The Lord of the Rings (1954–55). The series is set thousands of years before the novel and depicts the major events of Middle-earth's Second Age. It is produced by Amazon MGM Studios in association with New Line Cinema.

Amazon acquired the television rights for The Lord of the Rings from the Tolkien Estate in November 2017, making a five-season production commitment worth at least US$1 billion. This would make it the most expensive television series ever made. Payne and McKay were hired in July 2018 for their first credited roles. Their story bridges Second Age references in the appendices with original material, developed in consultation with the estate and Tolkien lore experts. Per Amazon's deal with the estate, the series is not a continuation of Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003) and The Hobbit (2012–2014) film trilogies. Despite this, the producers intended to evoke the films using similar production design, younger versions of film characters, and a main theme by Howard Shore who composed the music for both trilogies. Bear McCreary composed the series' original score.

A large international cast was hired and filming for the eight-episode first season took place in New Zealand, where the films were produced, from February 2020 to August 2021. This included a production break of several months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Amazon moved production for future seasons to the United Kingdom. Filming for the second season took place there from October 2022 to June 2023, finishing amid the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike. Work on a potential third season has begun.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premiered on September 1, 2022. The first season was released through October and was the most-watched of any Prime Video original series according to Amazon. It received generally positive reviews from critics, particularly for its visuals and designs, but there were criticisms for the writing and pacing. The second season was released from August to October 2024. It has been met with lower viewership than the first season and a similar critical response.

Premise

[edit]

Set thousands of years before the novels The Hobbit (1937) and The Lord of the Rings (1954–55) by J. R. R. Tolkien, the series is based on the author's history of Middle-earth. It begins during a time of relative peace and covers the major events of Middle-earth's Second Age: the forging of the Rings of Power, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, the fall of the island kingdom of Númenor, and the last alliance between Elves and Men.[1] These events take place over thousands of years in Tolkien's works but are condensed for the series.[2]

Episodes

[edit]
SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast released
18September 1, 2022 (2022-09-01)October 14, 2022 (2022-10-14)
28August 29, 2024 (2024-08-29)October 3, 2024 (2024-10-03)

Season 1 (2022)

[edit]
Main article: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
11"A Shadow of the Past"J. A. BayonaJ. D. Payne & Patrick McKaySeptember 1, 2022 (2022-09-01)
22"Adrift"J. A. BayonaGennifer HutchisonSeptember 1, 2022 (2022-09-01)
33"Adar"Wayne Che YipJason Cahill and Justin DobleSeptember 9, 2022 (2022-09-09)
44"The Great Wave"Wayne Che YipStephany Folsom and J. D. Payne & Patrick McKaySeptember 16, 2022 (2022-09-16)
55"Partings"Wayne Che YipJustin DobleSeptember 23, 2022 (2022-09-23)
66"Udûn"Charlotte BrändströmNicholas Adams & Justin Doble and J. D. Payne & Patrick McKaySeptember 30, 2022 (2022-09-30)
77"The Eye"Charlotte BrändströmJason CahillOctober 7, 2022 (2022-10-07)
88"Alloyed"Wayne Che YipGennifer Hutchison and J. D. Payne & Patrick McKayOctober 14, 2022 (2022-10-14)

Season 2 (2024)

[edit]
Main article: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2
No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
91"Elven Kings Under the Sky"Charlotte BrändströmGennifer HutchisonAugust 29, 2024 (2024-08-29)
102"Where the Stars are Strange"Charlotte Brändström
Louise Hooper		Jason CahillAugust 29, 2024 (2024-08-29)
113"The Eagle and the Sceptre"Louise Hooper
Charlotte Brändström		Helen ShangAugust 29, 2024 (2024-08-29)
124"Eldest"Louise Hooper
Sanaa Hamri		Glenise MullinsSeptember 5, 2024 (2024-09-05)
135"Halls of Stone"Louise Hooper
Sanaa Hamri		Nicholas AdamsSeptember 12, 2024 (2024-09-12)
146"Where Is He?"Sanaa HamriJustin DobleSeptember 19, 2024 (2024-09-19)
157"Doomed to Die"Charlotte BrändströmJ. D. Payne & Patrick McKay and Justin DobleSeptember 26, 2024 (2024-09-26)
168"Shadow and Flame"Charlotte BrändströmJ. D. Payne & Patrick McKayOctober 3, 2024 (2024-10-03)

Cast and characters

[edit]
Main article: List of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power characters
Cast members at August 2022 premiere events in London and Asia
  • Morfydd Clark as Galadriel: An Elven warrior who believes evil is returning to Middle-earth.[2] She is given the Ring of Power Nenya in the second season.[3]
  • Lenny Henry as Sadoc Burrows: The leader of the nomadic, secretive Harfoots,[4] precursors to the diminutive Hobbits from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings[2][5]
  • Sara Zwangobani as Marigold Brandyfoot: A Harfoot and Nori's stepmother[6]
  • Dylan Smith as Largo Brandyfoot: A Harfoot and Nori's father[6]
  • Markella Kavenagh as Elanor "Nori" Brandyfoot: A Harfoot with a "yearning for adventure",[7][8] and a curiosity of the unknown.[9] She travels with the Stranger in the second season.[10]
  • Megan Richards as Poppy Proudfellow: An orphaned Harfoot and Nori's best friend,[4] who travels with Nori and the Stranger in the second season[11]
  • Robert Aramayo as Elrond: A half-Elven politician.[2] As a half-Elf, Elrond had the choice to remain immortal or live a mortal life. He chose to be immortal while his brother Elros chose to be mortal.[7]
  • Benjamin Walker as Gil-galad: The High King of the Elves who rules from the realm of Lindon.[12] Walker highlighted the character's "odd gift of foresight. [He can] feel the pulse of evil rising."[7]
  • Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir: A Silvan Elf with a forbidden love for the human healer Bronwyn,[2] similar to Tolkien's love stories about Beren and Lúthien and Aragorn and Arwen[13]
  • Nazanin Boniadi as Bronwyn: A human healer and single mother who owns an apothecary in the Southlands. She is in love with the Elf Arondir.[2] Boniadi chose not to return after the first season.[14]
  • Tyroe Muhafidin as Theo: Bronwyn's son,[15] who discovers a broken sword that is the key to turning the Southlands into the dark land of Mordor[16]
  • Charles Edwards as Celebrimbor: The Elven-smith who forges the Rings of Power.[2] He is the greatest Elvish craftsmen since his grandfather Fëanor. Edwards described the character as vain and ambitious.[10]
  • Daniel Weyman as Gandalf: One of the Istari (Wizards) who falls from the sky in a flaming meteor and befriends Nori.[17] Initially known as "The Stranger", he is revealed to be Gandalf in the second-season finale.[18][19]
  • Owain Arthur as Durin IV: The prince of the Dwarven realm of Khazad-dûm,[2] who has a close relationship with Elrond[20]
  • Charlie Vickers as Sauron: The former lieutenant of the Dark Lord Morgoth who disguises himself as the human Halbrand and the Elf Annatar, the "Lord of Gifts", to deceive the people of Middle-earth[21][22]
  • Sophia Nomvete as Disa: Durin IV's wife and the princess of Khazad-dûm.[2] Arthur described the two characters as "the power couple of Middle-earth".[20]
  • Lloyd Owen as Elendil: A sailor from the island kingdom of Númenor and Isildur's father who will eventually be a leader in the last alliance between Elves and Men[23]
  • Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Míriel: The queen regent of Númenor,[23] who is blinded during the eruption of Mount Doom at the end of the first season[24]
  • Trystan Gravelle as Pharazôn: A Númenórean advisor to queen regent Míriel[23]
  • Maxim Baldry as Isildur: Elendil's son who will eventually become a warrior and king.[2] The writers wanted to adapt Isildur's story in a way that ended in tragedy rather than foolishness.[13]
  • Ema Horvath as Eärien: Elendil's daughter and Isildur's sister who joins the Númenórean Builder's Guild[25]
  • Leon Wadham as Kemen: Pharazôn's son.[23] Wadham said the character was the privileged child of a powerful parent.[26]
  • Ciarán Hinds as the Dark Wizard: One of the Istari who has been corrupted.[27][28] The showrunners denied speculation that he is Saruman due to that character's corruption not coming until later in Tolkien's history.[19][28]
  • Peter Mullan as Durin III: The king of Khazad-dûm,[29] who falls into madness in the second season after being given a Ring of Power[10]

Production

[edit]
This section summarizes the series' production. For more details on the production of each season, see: production of season 1 and season 2

Development

[edit]

In July 2017, a lawsuit was settled between Warner Bros., the studio behind Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings (2001–2003) and The Hobbit (2012–2014) film trilogies, and the estate of author J. R. R. Tolkien upon whose books those films were based. With the two sides "on better terms", they began offering the rights to a potential television series based on Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings (1954–55) to several outlets, including Amazon, Netflix, and HBO,[30] with a starting price of US$200 million.[2] HBO pitched a remake of the Lord of the Rings films which the estate was not interested in. Netflix pitched multiple connected series focusing on characters such as Aragorn and Gandalf which "completely freaked out the estate". Amazon did not pitch a specific story but promised to work closely with the estate to "protect Tolkien's legacy", which the estate felt they were unable to do with previous adaptations.[31] Amazon emerged as the frontrunner by September 2017 and entered negotiations.[32][33] Uncommonly for programming developments, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos was personally involved with the negotiations.[33] Bezos was a personal fan of The Lord of the Rings,[2] and had previously given Amazon Studios a mandate to develop an ambitious fantasy series of comparable scale to HBO's Game of Thrones (2011–2019).[30]

On November 13, 2017, Amazon acquired the global television rights for close to US$250 million. Industry commentators described this amount—before any production costs and without any creative talent attached to the project—as "insane",[30] although some considered the project to be more of a reputational risk for Amazon than a financial one due to Bezos's wealth.[2] Amazon's streaming service Amazon Prime Video gave a multi-season commitment to the series that was believed to be for five seasons, with the possibility of a spin-off series as well. Despite this, Prime Video had to give a formal greenlight to future seasons before work could begin on them.[34] The budget was expected to be in the range of US$100–150 million per season, and was likely to eventually exceed US$1 billion which would make it the most expensive television series ever made.[30][32] Warner Bros. Television was not involved in the project because Amazon Studios wanted to produce it themselves. Amazon was working with the Tolkien Estate, the Tolkien Trust, HarperCollins, and New Line Cinema. New Line, the Warner Bros. division that produced the films,[30] was reportedly included to allow the use of material from the films in the series.[32] The estate imposed creative restrictions on the series,[30][35] and the deal stipulated that production begin within two years.[32]

The first season was reported in May 2018 to be focusing on a young Aragorn.[36] Jennifer Salke, the head of Amazon Studios, said a month later that the deal for the series had only just been officially completed.[37] The studio met more than 30 potential writers,[38] including the Russo brothers and Anthony McCarten,[31] and asked for story pitches based on anything in Tolkien's The Hobbit (1937), The Lord of the Rings, and its appendices. These included prequel stories focused on characters such as Aragorn, Gimli, and Gandalf.[39][40] J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay pitched a series that explored the major events of Middle-earth's Second Age, thousands of years before The Lord of the Rings, including the forging of the Rings of Power, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, the fall of the island kingdom of Númenor, and the last alliance between Elves and Men.[13] These events were covered in a five-minute prologue in the Lord of the Rings films,[41] and the pair wanted to expand this into "50 hours of television".[2] Unlike the other writers being interviewed, Payne and McKay had only done unproduced or uncredited writing. They were championed to Amazon by director J. J. Abrams who worked with them on an unproduced Star Trek film,[2][31] and were hired to develop the series in July 2018.[42] Payne said their pitch felt like "an amazing, untold story" that was "worthy of Tolkien",[39] and McKay added, "We didn't want to do a side thing. A spinoff or the origin story of something else. We wanted to find a huge Tolkienian mega epic, and Amazon" agreed.[43]

Jackson said in December 2018 that he and his film producing partners would read some scripts for the series and offer notes on them, but he later stated that this did not happen. Amazon explained that the deal to acquire the television rights for The Lord of the Rings required them to keep the series distinct from Jackson's films, and Tolkien's estate were reportedly against Jackson's involvement in the project.[44] Payne and McKay were confirmed as showrunners and executive producers in July 2019, when the project's full creative team was revealed.[45][46] Additional executive producers included Lindsey Weber, Callum Greene, J. A. Bayona, Belén Atienza, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, Gennifer Hutchison, Bruce Richmond, and Sharon Tal Yguado.[45][46][47] Prime Video officially ordered a second season in November 2019,[34] and announced the series' full title, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, in January 2022. Payne and McKay felt the title could "live on the spine of a book next to J. R. R. Tolkien's other classics".[1] By the end of February 2024, Payne and McKay had started outlining the story for a third season.[48] It had not been officially ordered by the end of August, when the showrunners were asked if they had any contingency plans should Amazon decide to end the series before their five-season plan was complete. McKay stated, "We're not anticipating that. We're making our show and going all the way."[49] Amazon was reported in early September to be committed to the five-season plan following the second season's premiere.[50]

Writing

[edit]

The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are set during the Third Age of Middle-earth, while the First and Second Ages are primarily explored in The Silmarillion (1977), Unfinished Tales (1980), and The History of Middle-earth (1983–1996). Because Amazon only acquired the television rights to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, the writers had to identify all of the references to the Second Age in those books and create a story that bridged those passages. These are mostly in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings.[13] The estate was prepared to veto any changes from Tolkien's established narrative,[35] including anything that contradicted what he wrote in other works.[13] The writers were free to add characters or details,[35] and worked with the estate and Tolkien lore experts to ensure these were "Tolkienian".[13] They referenced letters that Tolkien wrote about his mythology for additional context on the setting and characters.[13][51] Simon Tolkien, a novelist and the grandson of J. R. R. Tolkien, consulted on the series and helped develop its story and character arcs. He is credited as a "series consultant".[52]

Payne and McKay knew the series was expected to run for five seasons and were able to plan elements of the final season, including the final shot, while working on the first.[53] The Second Age takes place over thousands of years in Tolkien's history; the writers were concerned that human characters would be frequently dying due to their relatively short lifespans, and that key humans from the end of the Second Age would not be introduced until late in the series. They considered using non-linear storytelling to solve this issue, but felt that would prevent the audience from emotionally investing in the series. Instead, they compressed the timeline so all the major events of the Second Age take place within a short period of time.[2][54] The Tolkien estate approved this change, as long as the major events still took place in the same order as in Tolkien's history,[2][55] and the showrunners felt they were still respecting the "spirit and feeling" of Tolkien's writings despite this change.[54] They structured the series so each season would be built around several "major tentpole moments" from the Second Age.[56]

Because they were unable to adapt dialogue from Tolkien's Second Age stories, the writers attempted to repurpose dialogue that they did have access to.[13] Leith McPherson returned from the Hobbit films as dialect coach and guided the use of Tolkien's fictional languages in the series. She established different dialects for each culture of Middle-earth.[57][58]: 46  After the series was revealed to have hired Jennifer Ward-Lealand as an intimacy coordinator, Tolkien fans expressed concern that it would include Game of Thrones-style graphic sex and violence.[59] Payne and McKay said this would not be the case and the series would be family-friendly. They hoped to evoke the tone of Tolkien's books, which can be "intense, sometimes quite political, sometimes quite sophisticated—but it's also heartwarming and life-affirming and optimistic."[2] They felt it was important to embrace the hope and earnestness in Tolkien's works,[60] and said they did not want to be influenced by modern politics, aspiring to tell a timeless story that matched Tolkien's own intention to create a mythology that would always be applicable.[54]

The showrunners disagreed with suggestions that the series was only "vaguely connected" to Tolkien's writings. McKay said they felt it was "deeply, deeply connected" and a "story we're stewarding that was here before us and was waiting in those books" to be told.[61] A disclaimer is featured in the series' end credits stating that some elements are "inspired by, though not contained in, the original source material".[62]

Casting

[edit]

Salke stated in June 2018 that the series would include some characters from the films,[63] and the showrunners intended for the new actors to look like they could feasibly grow up to be their film counterparts.[13] In January 2020, Amazon announced that the series' main cast would include Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Nazanin Boniadi, Tom Budge, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Ema Horvath, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Charlie Vickers, and Daniel Weyman.[64] Aramayo and Clark were cast as younger versions of the film characters Elrond and Galadriel, respectively.[65] Amazon's co-head of television Vernon Sanders noted that there were still some key roles that had yet to be filled.[64] In December, Amazon announced 20 new cast members: Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Maxim Baldry, Ian Blackburn, Kip Chapman, Anthony Crum, Maxine Cunliffe, Trystan Gravelle, Lenny Henry, Thusitha Jayasundera, Fabian McCallum, Simon Merrells, Geoff Morrell, Peter Mullan, Lloyd Owen, Augustus Prew, Peter Tait, Alex Tarrant, Leon Wadham, Benjamin Walker, and Sara Zwangobani.[66] Baldry, Owen, and Walker portray Isildur, Elendil, and Gil-galad, respectively, characters that appeared in the films during flashbacks.[13][23][65] Budge revealed in March 2021 that Amazon had decided to recast his character after filming several episodes.[67][68] Charles Edwards was cast to replace him that July.[2][69] Will Fletcher, Amelie Child-Villiers, and Beau Cassidy were also added to the cast then.[69]

Boniadi chose not to return for the second season and her character Bronwyn was not recast.[14] In early December 2022, Sam Hazeldine was revealed to have replaced Joseph Mawle in the role of Adar for the second season. Amazon also announced the casting of Gabriel Akuwudike, Yasen "Zates" Atour, Ben Daniels, Amelia Kenworthy, Nia Towle, and Nicholas Woodeson.[70] Daniels portrays Círdan, a character that briefly appeared in the films.[71][72] A week later, Amazon further announced the casting of Oliver Alvin-Wilson, Stuart Bowman, Gavi Singh Chera, William Chubb, Kevin Eldon, Will Keen, Selina Lo, and Calam Lynch.[73] Amazon announced the casting of Ciarán Hinds, Rory Kinnear, and Tanya Moodie in March 2023.[74] The second-season finale reveals that Weyman is portraying an earlier version of Gandalf in the series.[19]

Design

[edit]

Illustrator John Howe, one of the main conceptual designers on the film trilogies, returned to work on the series. He said in August 2019 that it would remain faithful to the films' designs.[75] In August 2022, Amazon explained that the deal with Tolkien's estate required the company to keep the series distinct from Jackson's films,[44] though the showrunners still intended for it to be visually consistent with them.[13] Also returning from Jackson's films to work on the series were costume designer Kate Hawley and special effects company Wētā Workshop.[13][76] Wētā provided props, weapons, prosthetics, and more for the first season.[77]

Rick Heinrichs was initially announced as production designer,[46] but was soon replaced by Ramsey Avery.[78] The showrunners gave Avery several "guideposts" when he joined the series: they wanted the series to feel like a real world that the characters lived in rather than a fantasy world; as many of the sets needed to be built for real as possible, using visual effects only when necessary; the audience should be able to easily identify the different cultures of Middle-earth; and the series had to be true to Tolkien.[79] A "war room" was assembled where the design language for each culture was defined.[80] The series' designs reflect that it is set thousands of years earlier than the films and depicts a "golden age" of Middle-earth.[78] Avery and Hawley did not return for the second season.[81][82] They were replaced by Kristian Milsted and Luca Mosca, respectively.[83]

Filming

[edit]

In June 2018, Salke said the series could be produced in New Zealand, where the film trilogies were made, but Amazon was also willing to shoot in other countries as long as they could "provide those locations in a really authentic way, because we want it to look incredible".[63] Amazon confirmed in September 2019 that filming for the first season would take place in New Zealand.[84] Scotland had also been considered as a location.[85][86] Filming for the season began in Auckland in February 2020,[64][87] with J. A. Bayona directing the first two episodes.[88] Production was placed on hold in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic,[89] and this shutdown segued into an already planned production break that allowed footage from the first two episodes to be reviewed and writing on the second season to begin.[90] Filming resumed at the end of September.[91] Wayne Che Yip and Charlotte Brändström directed the rest of the season's episodes.[92][93] Around a third of filming took place on location around New Zealand.[76] Production for the first season officially wrapped on August 2, 2021.[94]

The week after filming ended for the first season, Amazon announced that it was moving production of the series to the United Kingdom starting with the second season. Factors that played a role in the change included Amazon already heavily investing in UK studio space for other productions as well as New Zealand's restrictive pandemic-era border policies.[95] Tolkien's estate also wanted the series to be filmed in the UK since Tolkien was inspired by locations there when writing his books.[96] Pre-production for the second season was expected to begin in the UK in the second quarter of 2022,[97] taking place concurrently with post-production for the first season which was continuing in New Zealand until June 2022.[95] Filming on the second season began on October 3,[98] with Brändström, Sanaa Hamri, and Louise Hooper directing.[99] Filming took place primarily at Bray Film Studios and Bovingdon Airfield outside of London,[97] with location filming around the UK and in the Canary Islands.[100][101] Production for the season wrapped in June 2023,[81] amid the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike.[102]

Visual effects

[edit]

Amazon provided unlimited cloud-based storage for the production, allowing all technical data and footage to be accessible to anyone working on the series around the world. It was the first production to be completely cloud-based,[103] which became crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic.[104] The primary visual effects vendors for the first season were Wētā FX, returning from Jackson's films, and Industrial Light & Magic (ILM).[105] All the vendors were overseen by visual effects supervisor Jason Smith.[106] The season's effects include characters appearing at different sizes,[106] augmented environments,[107] fantasy creatures,[108] and magic.[109]

Title sequence

[edit]

The opening title sequence was directed by Katrina Crawford and Mark Bashore of the creative studio Plains of Yonder. They did not see any material from the series when starting work and instead took inspiration from Tolkien.[110] Based on the author's creation story in which the world is created from music, the pair suggested the title sequence be "built from the world of sound".[111] They investigated cymatics, using a homemade Chladni plate and slow motion footage to test what shapes could be formed with sand particles by the vibrations of sounds such as Gregorian chants, Angelic music, rock and roll, and whale calls.[110][112] For the final sequence, Crawford and Bashore used a 2 feet (0.61 m) wide rig and programmed tones to create basic patterns such as diamonds and swirls. These were filmed practically,[111][112] and then the Plains of Yonder visual effects team attempted to replicate the "flawed, wild motion" of the real photography for shots that feature iconography from Tolkien's writings, including the Two Trees of Valinor; the eight-pointed star associated with the character Fëanor; different parts of Middle-earth's geography; and each set of the Rings of Power—nine human rings, seven Dwarven rings, three Elven rings, and the One Ring.[110][111][113] The sequence took seven months to complete.[110]

Music

[edit]
Main article: Music of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Howard Shore, the composer for the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit films, was reported to be in discussions with Amazon about working on the series in September 2020. He was said to be interested in developing musical themes but not necessarily composing the entire score.[114] Shore was confirmed to be in talks for the series a year later,[115] when composer Bear McCreary was reported to be involved as well.[114] Their hiring was officially announced in July 2022, with McCreary composing the score and Shore writing the main title theme.[116] McCreary was contractually prohibited from quoting any themes that Shore wrote for the films.[117] He said the series was a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to work on such an ambitious score, and he hoped to create a "continuity of concept" between the series and Shore's work on the films. He wrote more than 15 new themes for the series.[118]

Marketing

[edit]
Marketing for the first season in Cologne, Germany

Early promotional work for the series on social media used several maps of Middle-earth's Second Age, as well as excerpts from the novel The Lord of the Rings.[35][119] These maps were designed and created by illustrator John Howe and overseen by Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey to ensure they were accurate to Tolkien's works.[119] Howe and Shippey spent a lot of time working on the maps, which were based on maps of Númenor during the Second Age as well as maps of the Third Age that were created by Tolkien's son Christopher. Despite their efforts, HarperCollins received complaints from fans shortly after the maps were released online regarding two mistakes that were made on them.[75]

Amazon considered the reveal of the series' title in January 2022 to be crucial as the beginning the series' marketing campaign. Instead of just using visual effects, the studio released an announcement video in which the letters of the title are physically cast from molten metal while an excerpt of the "Ring Verse" from The Lord of the Rings is read in voiceover. The video was directed by Klaus Obermeyer, who worked with special effects supervisor Lee Nelson under advisement by veteran special effects supervisor Douglas Trumbull.[120] They filmed the video with foundryman Landon Ryan in late 2021 in Los Angeles, after experimenting with different combinations of metals, sparkler dust, argon pours, and liquid hydrogen. The final metal was a mixture of bronze and aluminum which was poured into molds of compressed sand that could be used multiple times. The pouring was filmed at 5,000 frames per second with a Phantom Flex4K camera so it could be shown in ultra-slow motion.[121] For the final title card, the forged letters were inscribed with Elvish writing and placed on a large piece of redwood. Staff from the Tolkien fan website TheOneRing.net and entertainment journalists were invited by Amazon to watch the filming of the video.[120][121] Prologue Films provided previsualization for the sequence as well as compositing and additional visual effects. They recreated the final title card digitally, taking care to maintain the "integrity of the live action shots and lighting".[122]

A new book chronicling the events of Middle-earth's Second Age was announced in June 2022. Titled The Fall of Númenor, it was compiled and edited by Tolkien scholar Brian Sibley from J. R. R. and Christopher Tolkien's writings about the Second Age. The book features new illustrations by Alan Lee. It was published in November 2022 to capitalize on new interest in the topic arising from the first season's release.[123] Similarly, a new edition of Tolkien's poetry collection The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (1962) was released in August 2024 to coincide with the second season's release.[124]

Release

[edit]

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premiered on Prime Video in the United States on September 1, 2022.[125] Episodes are released in more than 240 countries and territories at the same time as the US.[125][126]

Reception

[edit]
This section summarizes the series' reception. For more details on the reception to each season, see: reception of season 1 and season 2

Viewership

[edit]

Amazon announced that The Rings of Power had been watched by 25 million viewers globally in the first 24 hours that the first two episodes were available on Prime Video, the service's biggest premiere ever. This was the first time Amazon had publicly stated viewership data for Prime Video and the company did not specify how much of an episode a user needed to watch for them to count as a viewer.[127] By December 2022 the series had been watched by more than 100 million viewers globally and was Prime Video's most watched series ever. Sanders called it "a tremendous success",[128] and explained that, in addition to viewership, the company measured its success based on new signups to Prime Video and impacts on other areas of business such as retail and music;[49] for example, Sanders said the first season led to spikes in the sales of Tolkien's books.[128] In April 2023, Kim Masters at The Hollywood Reporter reported that the first season was only finished by 37 percent of its initial US viewers and 45 percent of international viewers. Salke said attempts to paint the series as less than a success did not reflect Amazon's internal discussions.[129] In October 2024, she said the season had been watched by more than 150 million viewers,[130] and it was still the most-watched season on Prime Video globally.[50]

Third-party analytics companies estimated that there was a significant drop in interest from the premiere episodes of the first season to those of the second, with Samba TV and Luminate both calculating around half as much viewership for the second season's premiere compared to the first's.[131][132] Amazon said the second season was watched by 40 million viewers globally in its first 11 days of release, making it one of the top five most watched television seasons on Prime Video in that timeframe,[133] and this had increased to 55 million viewers ahead of the season finale. The company expected more "growth and momentum" for the season over time.[130] James Hibberd of The Hollywood Reporter said Amazon's "spin" on the season's initial viewership was that a drop was inevitable due to how high the first season's numbers were.[50]

Critical response

[edit]
Critical response of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
SeasonRotten TomatoesMetacritic
183% (491 reviews)[134]71 (40 reviews)[135]
284% (168 reviews)[136]67 (25 reviews)[137]

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes calculated that 83% of 491 critics reviews for the first season were positive and the average rating was 8 out of 10. The website's critics consensus reads, "It may not yet be the One Show to Rule Them All, but The Rings of Power enchants with its opulent presentation and deeply-felt rendering of Middle-earth."[134] Metacritic assigned a weighted average score of 71 out of 100 based on 40 reviews, indicating a "generally favorable" response.[135] Particular praise went to the visuals and designs, while the overall structure, slow pacing, and reliance on mystery box–style storytelling were criticized.[138]

For the second season, Rotten Tomatoes calculated that 84% of 168 critics reviews were positive and the average rating was 7.25 out of 10. The website's critics consensus reads, "The Rings of Power's sophomore season discovers new virtues while retaining some of its predecessor's vices, overall making for a more kinetic journey through Tolkien's world."[136] Metacritic assigned a score of 67 out of 100 based on 25 reviews, again indicating a "generally favorable" response.[137] Critics broadly felt that the series' production value remained high in the second season, with praise for the visuals, design work, and McCreary's score. The season was also seen to be more confident in its storytelling than the first, though some critics said the series still had pacing issues and too many storylines.[139][140][141]

Audience response

[edit]

The series' early marketing led to a "cacophony" of online fan discourse, including concerns about accuracy to Tolkien.[142] After it premiered, the audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes was considerably lower than the critics rating. This was partially attributed to review bombing for "perceived cultural or political issues", but also to fan concerns about the story, acting, and pacing.[143] These online responses were analyzed and discussed,[144][145][146] with particular coverage going to complaints about the casting of non-white actors.[142][147][148] Many commentators characterized this backlash as being racist.[149] Amazon did a study with thousands of audience members to get insight into their thoughts on each episode of the first season.[150] The day after the second season premiered, its audience rating on Rotten Tomatoes was nearly double that of the first season.[139] Sanders said the second season had not faced the same "racist hostility" as the first and Amazon found the majority of viewers to be open minded, engaged with the series, and not following an "agenda that's separate from the show itself".[151]

Accolades

[edit]

The first season was nominated for six Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards,[152] two Art Directors Guild Awards (winning both),[153] a Costume Designers Guild Award,[154] a Critics' Choice Award and two Critics' Choice Super Awards,[155][156] a People's Choice Award,[157] two Saturn Awards,[158] a Screen Actors Guild Award,[159] and seven Visual Effects Society Awards (winning three),[160][161] among others.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Otterson, Joe (January 19, 2022). "'Lord of the Rings' Amazon Series Reveals Full Title in New Video". Variety. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Breznican, Anthony; Robinson, Joanna (February 10, 2022). "Amazon's Lord of the Rings Series Rises: Inside The Rings of Power". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  3. ^ Bythrow, Nick (June 4, 2024). "When Galadriel Wears Her Ring Of Power & Its Effects In Season 2 Teased By LOTR Show Producer". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on June 5, 2024. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Coggan, Devan (September 16, 2022). "How 'Rings of Power' star Megan Richards found her footing as harfoot Poppy". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 16, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  5. ^ Carson, Erin (August 26, 2022). "What Is a Harfoot? A Peek at the 'Rings of Power' Hobbit Ancestor". CNET. Archived from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Yeo, Debra (July 30, 2022). "Canadian cast member of 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' says 'the detail was what made it epic'". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on July 31, 2022. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
  7. ^ a b c Coggan, Devan (August 2, 2022). "Meet 13 key characters from 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 2, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  8. ^ Lovett, Jamie (February 14, 2022). "The Lord of the Rings TV Series Reveals Hobbit's Name, King of the Elves and a Mysterious Stranger". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on February 15, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  9. ^ Oddo, Marco Vito (July 24, 2022). "'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power': Markella Kavenagh Talks Subverting Harfoot and Hobbit Tradition". Collider. Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  10. ^ a b c Holub, Christian (August 6, 2024). "'Rings of Power' cast teases season 2 of the 'Lord of the Rings' prequel series". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 6, 2024. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  11. ^ Kelley, Aidan (July 27, 2024). "Poppy Is the "Google Maps" of Rhûn in 'Rings of Power' Season 2". Collider. Archived from the original on August 8, 2024. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  12. ^ Breznican, Anthony (February 13, 2022). "Secrets of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Teaser Trailer". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on February 14, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2022.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Robinson, Joanna (February 14, 2022). "10 Burning Questions About Amazon's 'The Rings of Power'". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on February 14, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  14. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 31, 2024). "'The Rings Of Power' Actress Nazanin Boniadi On Her Decision To Depart Series Ahead Of Season 2". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 31, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  15. ^ Lambe, Stacy (September 2, 2022). "'Rings of Power' Premiere: Tyroe Muhafidin on Theo's Attraction to Sauron's Sword". Entertainment Tonight. Archived from the original on September 2, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2022.
  16. ^ Walsh, Michael (September 30, 2022). "Why Is Theo's Sword Hilt of Sauron Important to the Orcs on The Rings of Power?". Nerdist. Archived from the original on May 29, 2024. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  17. ^ Patches, Matt (October 15, 2022). "The Rings of Power's Stranger spills on the show's biggest mystery". Polygon. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
  18. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr (October 3, 2024). "'Lord Of The Rings: Rings Of Power' Season 2 Finale Q&A: Shocking Deaths, Betrayals & Sauron's Rise To Rule Middle-earth". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 3, 2024. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
  19. ^ a b c Hibberd, James (October 3, 2024). "'The Rings of Power' Creators on That Big Season 2 Finale Reveal and Sauron's Mistake". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 3, 2024. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
  20. ^ a b Coggan, Devan (October 12, 2022). "'Rings of Power' star Owain Arthur on the Elrond/Durin bromance: 'I'd do anything for him'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2024.
  21. ^ Coggan, Devan (October 14, 2022). "Sauron speaks! That 'Rings of Power' actor opens up about the big finale reveal". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  22. ^ Wilkes, Emma (June 6, 2024). "'Rings Of Power' villain will have a different name in season two". NME. Archived from the original on June 6, 2024. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  23. ^ a b c d e Coggan, Devan (July 13, 2022). "Get an exclusive look at 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 14, 2022. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
  24. ^ Bythrow, Nick (July 27, 2024). "Rings Of Power Season 2's Númenor Storyline & Elendil's "Hero's Journey" Teased By Star". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on July 27, 2024. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  25. ^ Glazebrook, Lewis (September 10, 2022). "Isildur's Sister Exemplifies The Rings Of Power's Changes To LOTR". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on September 10, 2022. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  26. ^ Amin, Arezou (July 27, 2022). "'Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power': Leon Wadham on Kemen's Relationship with His Father Pharazôn". Collider. Archived from the original on July 28, 2022. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  27. ^ Shepherd, Jack; Russell, Bradley (July 16, 2024). "The Rings of Power showrunners tease season 2's new characters, including a popular Lord of the Rings character". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on July 16, 2024. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  28. ^ a b Breznican, Anthony (October 3, 2024). "'The Rings of Power' Season Two Finale Explained". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on October 3, 2024. Retrieved October 5, 2024.
  29. ^ Rice, Lynette (July 14, 2022). "'The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power' Releases New Trailer; First Look At Characters from Númenor". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 14, 2022. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
  30. ^ a b c d e f Andreeva, Nellie (November 13, 2017). "Amazon Sets 'The Lord of the Rings' TV Series In Mega Deal With Multi-Season Commitment". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 13, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  31. ^ a b c Hibberd, James (October 5, 2022). "'The Rings of Power' Showrunners Break Silence on Backlash, Sauron and Season 2". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 5, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  32. ^ a b c d Siegel, Tatiana (April 5, 2018). "Inside Amazon's $250M 'Lord of the Rings' Deal: "It's Very Much a Creature of the Times"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 5, 2018. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  33. ^ a b Holloway, Daniel (November 3, 2017). "'Lord of the Rings': Amazon, Warner Bros. in Talks for Series Adaptation (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on March 16, 2020. Retrieved November 5, 2017.
  34. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (November 18, 2019). "'The Lord Of the Rings' Series Gets Early Season 2 Renewal By Amazon, Sets Season 1 Hiatus". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 19, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  35. ^ a b c d Eckrich, Tobias M. (July 29, 2019). "Exclusive Interview with Tom Shippey Concerning LOTRonPrime". Deutsche Tolkien Gesellschaft. Archived from the original on August 5, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  36. ^ Evangelista, Chris (May 16, 2018). "'Lord Of The Rings' TV Series Reportedly Set To Follow Young Aragorn". /Film. Archived from the original on February 13, 2022. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
  37. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (June 12, 2018). "Jennifer Salke Details Amazon Plans: Fix Culture, Empower Women, 'Lord of the Rings' by 2021". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 10, 2018. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  38. ^ Cohen, Ben (September 8, 2022). "Amazon Wanted a Lord of the Rings Show. It Turned to Frodo and Sam". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on September 8, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  39. ^ a b Shepherd, Jack (July 25, 2022). "Amazon were pitched Lord of the Rings TV shows on young Aragorn and a Gimli spin-off". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on July 25, 2022. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
  40. ^ Dockterman, Eliana (August 15, 2022). "The Secretive, Extravagant, Bighearted World of 'The Rings of Power'". TIME. Archived from the original on August 15, 2022. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
  41. ^ Dockterman, Eliana (August 15, 2022). "11 'Rings of Power' Secrets We Learned From the Cast and Creators". TIME. Archived from the original on August 15, 2022. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
  42. ^ Goldberg, Lesley; Kit, Borys (July 28, 2018). "'Lord of the Rings': Amazon Taps 'Star Trek 4' Duo to Develop TV Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 28, 2018. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  43. ^ Lussier, Germain (July 23, 2022). "Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Is a 'Mega Epic'". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on July 23, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  44. ^ a b Hibberd, James (August 5, 2022). "Peter Jackson Says Amazon's 'Lord of the Rings' TV Series Ghosted Him". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 6, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  45. ^ a b @LOTRonPrime (July 27, 2019). "Meet our Fellowship" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 2, 2019. Retrieved July 28, 2019 – via Twitter.
  46. ^ a b c White, Peter (July 27, 2019). "Amazon Sets Creative Team For 'Lord Of The Rings' TV Series Including 'GoT' & 'Breaking Bad' Producers – TCA". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 27, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  47. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (December 3, 2020). "'Lord of the Rings' Adds 20 to Sprawling Cast for Amazon Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  48. ^ Hibberd, James; Kit, Borys (February 28, 2024). "'The Rings of Power' Showrunners Sign New Amazon Deal, Begin Early Work on Season 3 (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  49. ^ a b Vary, Adam B. (August 28, 2024). "'Rings of Power' Bosses on New Parts of Middle-earth, Last-Minute Visual Effects and Why They Haven't Changed Course From Season 1". Variety. Archived from the original on August 28, 2024. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  50. ^ a b c Hibberd, James (September 11, 2024). "'House of the Dragon' and 'Rings of Power' Facing Epic Headaches". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 11, 2024. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  51. ^ Sledge, Ben (May 14, 2022). "Tolkien Experts Saw A Sneak Peek Of The Rings Of Power – Here's What They Think". TheGamer. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  52. ^ Coggan, Devan (July 19, 2022). "How Simon Tolkien helped guide 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 19, 2022. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
  53. ^ Travis, Ben (June 7, 2022). "Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power's Five Seasons Are Fully Planned Out: 'We Know What Our Final Shot Will Be' – Exclusive". Empire. Archived from the original on June 7, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  54. ^ a b c Shepherd, Jack (July 25, 2022). "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power showrunners address rumors that modern politics will influence the show". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on July 25, 2022. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
  55. ^ Vineyard, Jennifer (October 14, 2022). "'The Rings of Power': The Showrunners Unpack That Twisty Finale". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  56. ^ Griffin, Louise (September 30, 2024). "Rings of Power boss drops season 3 hint: 'There'll be good news soon'". Radio Times. Archived from the original on September 30, 2024. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  57. ^ Francisco, Eric (June 16, 2022). "'Rings of Power' expands Tolkien's world by "honoring his work" in one vital way". Inverse. Archived from the original on June 16, 2022. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
  58. ^ "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power - Crafts Book". Amazon Prime Video. Archived from the original on June 8, 2024. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
  59. ^ Broadway, Clifford (October 6, 2020). "Sex & Sensibility: Amazon's Nude Take On Tolkien". TheOneRing.net. Archived from the original on October 7, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  60. ^ Boyle, Kelli (July 8, 2024). "'The Rings of Power' Season 2 Is About Its Villain's Journey". TV Insider. Archived from the original on July 8, 2024. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  61. ^ Hibberd, James (August 12, 2022). "'Lord of the Rings' TV Writers: Show Not Just "Vaguely Connected" to Tolkien". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  62. ^ Phillips, Michael (September 1, 2022). "Review: 'Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' is Amazon's lavish bid for buzz. It's off to a pretty good start". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on September 1, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
  63. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (June 11, 2018). "Amazon Studios Head Jennifer Salke On Strategy, 'Lord Of the Rings' Series, Battle For Talent & 'Transparent' End Game: Q&A". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  64. ^ a b c D'Alessandro, Anthony (January 14, 2020). "'The Lord Of The Rings': Amazon Studios Sets Series Cast – TCA". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 7, 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  65. ^ a b Craig, Elvy (February 10, 2022). "Every LOTR Movie Character Returning In The Rings Of Power". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  66. ^ Otterson, Joe (December 3, 2020). "'Lord of the Rings' Series at Amazon Adds 20 Actors to Cast". Variety. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  67. ^ Broadway, Clifford (July 20, 2021). "Spy Report: 20 new details emerge from Amazon's Lord of the Rings: Characters, Sexless Nudity and Halflings!". TheOneRing.net. Archived from the original on July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  68. ^ Knox, David (March 17, 2021). "Actor departs Lord of the Rings". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on March 17, 2021. Retrieved March 17, 2021.
  69. ^ a b Goldberg, Lesley (July 1, 2021). "Amazon's 'Lord of the Rings' Rounds Out Sprawling Cast (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
  70. ^ Petski, Denise (December 1, 2022). "'Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power' Recasts Adar With Sam Hazeldine, Adds 6 More Actors For Season 2". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 1, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  71. ^ Stedman, Alex (July 11, 2024). "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Reveals First Look at Círdan the Shipwright in Season 2". IGN. Archived from the original on July 11, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  72. ^ Dominguez, Noah (August 17, 2022). "Lord of the Rings' Círdan Will Appear in Rings of Power Season 2". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on August 17, 2022. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
  73. ^ Petski, Denise (December 7, 2022). "'The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power' Adds 8 To Season 2 Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  74. ^ Murphy, J. Kim (March 20, 2023). "'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Season 2 Adds Ciarán Hinds, Rory Kinnear and Tanya Moodie". Variety. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  75. ^ a b Sutton, David (August 18, 2019). "Interview with Narnia Conceptual Designer John Howe". NarniaFans.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2020. Retrieved May 1, 2020.
  76. ^ a b Milne, Jonathan; Sumner, Bonnie (August 5, 2021). "Return of the Rings: Govt hopes Amazon will come back to film more seasons". Newsroom. Archived from the original on August 5, 2021. Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  77. ^ Wētā Workshop [@WetaWorkshop] (September 4, 2023). "Wētā Workshop designed and manufactured a vast array of props, weapons, shields, prosthetics, and more for The Rings of Power. Immerse yourself in the artistry that shaped this epic saga" (Tweet). Archived from the original on December 3, 2023. Retrieved December 4, 2023 – via Twitter.
  78. ^ a b Jones, Tamera (June 2, 2023). "'The Rings of Power' Production Designer on Building Second Age Middle-Earth". Collider. Archived from the original on June 2, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  79. ^ Avery, Ramsey (October 2022). "Expanding Tolkien's World | The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power". ADG Perspective. pp. 71–81. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
  80. ^ Jones, Tamera (May 27, 2023). "'The Rings of Power' Cast on Bringing Middle-Earth's Second Age to Life". Collider. Archived from the original on May 27, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  81. ^ a b Grobar, Matt (June 21, 2023). "'LOTR: The Rings Of Power' Director Charlotte Brändström & Production Designer Ramsey Avery On Lighting's Role In Helping Viewer To Navigate Middle-Earth And A "Darker And More Dramatic" Season 2 – The Process". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 21, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  82. ^ Hullender, Tatiana (May 15, 2023). "Rings of Power Costume Designer & VFX Producer On Revisiting Lord Of The Rings". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on May 15, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  83. ^ Breznican, Anthony (May 29, 2024). "Tom Bombadil Finally Steps Forth in 'The Rings of Power'—An Exclusive First Look". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on May 29, 2024. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  84. ^ "Amazon Studios Announces New Zealand as Location for Its Upcoming Series Based on The Lord of the Rings" (Press release). Culver City, California: Amazon Studios. September 17, 2019. Archived from the original on December 5, 2019. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  85. ^ McDonald, Craig (February 10, 2019). "New £1b Lord of the Rings prequel TV series set to be filmed in Scotland". Daily Record. Archived from the original on February 10, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  86. ^ McDonald, Craig (April 14, 2019). "Amazon's £1bn Lord of the Rings series set to be filmed at new Scots studio". Daily Record. Archived from the original on April 17, 2019. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  87. ^ McConnell, Glenn (February 26, 2020). "Massive production underway for Lord of the Rings in Auckland". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  88. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (July 3, 2019). "'The Lord Of The Rings': J.A. Bayona To Direct Amazon Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 9, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  89. ^ Keall, Chris (March 15, 2020). "Coronavirus: Amazon's Lord of the Rings production in West Auckland shut-down". New Zealand Herald. Archived from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  90. ^ Wiseman, Andreas (May 7, 2020). "New Zealand Returns To Production, Paving Way For 'Avatar' Sequels & 'The Lord Of The Rings' Series To Resume Filming". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 7, 2020. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  91. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (September 28, 2020). "Amazon's 'The Lord Of The Rings' Resumes Production In New Zealand, Netflix's 'Cowboy Bebop' Next". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  92. ^ Littleton, Cynthia (March 24, 2021). "'Lord of the Rings' Series Adds Director Wayne Che Yip as Co-Executive Producer". Variety. Archived from the original on March 24, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2021.
  93. ^ Grater, Tom (May 13, 2021). "'The Witcher' Director Charlotte Brändström Joins Amazon's 'The Lord Of The Rings' Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
  94. ^ Petski, Denise (August 2, 2021). "'The Lord Of The Rings' TV Series Gets Amazon Premiere Date & First-Look Photo". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  95. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (August 12, 2021). "'The Lord Of The Rings' To Move Production To UK From New Zealand For Season 2". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  96. ^ Sweney, Mark (August 12, 2021). "Amazon moves production of Lord of the Rings TV series to UK". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  97. ^ a b Ravindran, Manori; Yossman, K. J. (November 24, 2021). "Amazon's 'Lord of the Rings' Series Sets First U.K. Filming Locations (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  98. ^ Hibberd, James (October 3, 2022). "'The Rings of Power' Season 2 Starts Production in the U.K." The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on October 3, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  99. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (December 14, 2022). "'The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power' Sets All-Female Directing Team, Reveals Episode Count For Season 2". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 14, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2023.
  100. ^ O'Brien, Christy (October 20, 2022). "New season of Rings of Power 'being filmed at Hankley Common'". SurreyLive. Archived from the original on January 29, 2023. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  101. ^ De Avisos, Diario (March 9, 2023). "The first images of the filming of The Rings of Power in Tenerife are filtered". Tenerife Weekly News. Archived from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023.
  102. ^ Vary, Adam B. (May 4, 2023). "'Rings of Power' to Finish Filming Season 2 Amid Writers Strike Without Showrunners on Set". Variety. Archived from the original on May 4, 2023. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
  103. ^ Mendelovich, Yossy (May 11, 2023). ""The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power": Modern Cinematography Demonstrated". Y.M.Cinema Magazine. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  104. ^ Mehlman, Ben (April 11, 2023). "LOTR: The Rings of Power: Ron Ames on Cloud Workflows and VFX". postPerspective. Archived from the original on April 19, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  105. ^ Tangcay, Jazz (September 1, 2022). "'Rings of Power' Used 20 VFX Studios, Nearly 10,000 VFX Shots to Revive Middle-earth (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on September 3, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
  106. ^ a b Douglas, Edward (October 14, 2022). "Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power VFX Supervisor Jason Smith on Calibrating the Size, Scale, and Scope of Tolkien's Middle Earth". Below the Line. Archived from the original on December 8, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  107. ^ Hogg, Trevor (October 30, 2022). "'The Rings of Power': The VFX of a Dazzling Return to Middle-earth". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on October 31, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  108. ^ Failes, Ian (December 13, 2022). "The surprising inspiration for that crazy Warg in 'The Rings of Power'". befores & afters. Archived from the original on December 13, 2022. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  109. ^ "The Rings of Power". Rodeo FX. Archived from the original on March 1, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  110. ^ a b c d Egan, Toussaint (September 22, 2022). "Even the Rings of Power title sequence contains hidden secrets about the show". Polygon. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  111. ^ a b c Peterson, Karen M. (September 16, 2022). "Inside the Secrets of 'The Rings of Power' Title Sequence". Variety. Archived from the original on September 16, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  112. ^ a b Boyle, Kelli (October 13, 2022). "How 'The Rings of Power's Opening Credits Honors LOTR Legacy of Innovation". TV Insider. Archived from the original on October 13, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  113. ^ Elvy, Craig (September 3, 2022). "The Rings Of Power Opening Credits Explained". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on September 3, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
  114. ^ a b "Howard Shore and Bear McCreary to soundtrack LOTR on Prime series". TheOneRing.net. September 19, 2021. Archived from the original on September 21, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  115. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (September 19, 2021). "Oscar-Winning 'The Lord Of The Rings' Howard Shore In Talks To Compose Music For Amazon Studios' Middle Earth-Set TV Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 19, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  116. ^ Reilly, Nick (July 21, 2022). "Bear McCreary confirmed as composer of 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power'". Rolling Stone UK. Archived from the original on July 21, 2022. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  117. ^ McHenry, Jackson (October 4, 2022). "A Tour of the Tolkien Lore in the Rings of Power Score". Vulture. Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved January 23, 2023.
  118. ^ Burlingame, Jon (August 19, 2022). "Bear McCreary Talks Scoring 'Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' as Soundtrack Releases Worldwide". Variety. Archived from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved August 20, 2022.
  119. ^ a b Eckrich, Tobias M. (April 19, 2019). "Confirmed: John Howe and Tom Shippey Involved in the Amazon Series". Deutsche Tolkien Gesellschaft. Archived from the original on May 10, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  120. ^ a b "Prime Video's The Lord of the Rings Title Reveal – Exclusive Behind the Scenes images". TheOneRing.net. January 19, 2022. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  121. ^ a b Emberwing, Amelia (January 19, 2022). "This Is How They Made the Lord of the Rings Title Sequence". IGN. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  122. ^ "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power". Prologue Films. Archived from the original on May 8, 2022. Retrieved May 8, 2022.
  123. ^ Graves, Sabina (June 22, 2022). "New Tolkien Collection Gathers Writings on Middle-earth's Second Age". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on June 23, 2022. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  124. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (May 29, 2024). "Rory Kinnear To Play Fan-Fave Character Tom Bombadil In Prime Video's 'Lord Of The Rings: Rings Of Power' Season 2 – Photos Unveiled". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 29, 2024. Retrieved May 31, 2024.
  125. ^ a b "'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings Of Power'; Prime Video Reveals Rollout Schedule". Deadline Hollywood. August 16, 2022. Archived from the original on August 16, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  126. ^ Bradley, Bill (September 2, 2022). "How The Rings of Power Showrunners Handled a Massive Global Debut". Adweek. Archived from the original on September 4, 2022. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  127. ^ Maas, Jennifer (September 3, 2022). "'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' Premiere Draws 25 Million Global Viewers in First Day, Amazon Says". Variety. Archived from the original on September 3, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
  128. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (December 19, 2022). "'LOTR: The Rings Of Power': Vernon Sanders Talks Season 1 Return On Investment & Season 3 Renewal, Teases Faster Pace & Bigger Battles In Season 2". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
  129. ^ Masters, Kim (April 3, 2023). "Inside Amazon Studios: Big Swings Hampered by Confusion and Frustration". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved April 12, 2023.
  130. ^ a b Campione, Katie (October 2, 2024). "'LOTR': Prime Video Gives 'Rings Of Power' Viewership Update Ahead Of Season 2 Finale". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 2, 2024. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  131. ^ Campione, Katie (September 4, 2024). "'Lord Of The Rings: Rings Of Power' Saw Steep Audience Decline For Season 2 Premiere, Samba TV Says". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 4, 2024. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  132. ^ Hailu, Selome (September 5, 2024). "'Rings of Power' Was the No. 2 Streaming Series Over Labor Day Weekend Following Netflix's 'Worst Ex Ever'". Variety. Archived from the original on September 5, 2024. Retrieved September 9, 2024.
  133. ^ Campione, Katie (September 10, 2024). "'Lord Of The Rings: Rings Of Power' Season 2 Gaining Steam With 40M Viewers In First 11 Days". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 10, 2024. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  134. ^ a b "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  135. ^ a b "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 1". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  136. ^ a b "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  137. ^ a b "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 2". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  138. ^ Examples of reviews discussing the full first season:
  139. ^ a b Hibberd, James (August 30, 2024). "'The Rings of Power' Season 2 Rotten Tomatoes Scores Show Improvement for Hotly Debated Show". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 30, 2024. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  140. ^ Pak, Jaron (August 30, 2024). "The Rings Of Power Season 2's Rotten Tomatoes Score Tops Season 1 In A Major Way". /Film. Archived from the original on August 30, 2024. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  141. ^ Campbell, Christopher (August 28, 2024). "LotR: The Rings of Power: Season 2 First Reviews: A Darker, Bolder, and More Complex Story in Every Way". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on August 28, 2024. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
  142. ^ a b Mooney, Darren (February 18, 2022). "Why Are People So Angry About The Rings of Power?". The Escapist. Archived from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
  143. ^ Hibberrd, James (September 2, 2022). "Is 'The Rings of Power' Getting Review Bombed? Amazon Suspends Ratings". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 2, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2022.
  144. ^ Power, Tom (September 6, 2022). "The Rings of Power's sparkling success can't save it from baffling fan backlash". TechRadar. Archived from the original on September 6, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  145. ^ White, Cindy (August 30, 2022). "What's really behind the battle over The Rings Of Power?". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on August 30, 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  146. ^ Canal, Alexandra (September 7, 2022). "Amazon's 'Lord of the Rings' prequel faces 'tornadoes' despite record Prime debut". Yahoo! Finance. Archived from the original on September 7, 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2022.
  147. ^ Poniewozik, James (September 29, 2022). "Guess Who's Coming to Mordor". The New York Times. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  148. ^ Syed, Sakeina (October 14, 2022). "The Rings of Power Has a Troll Problem". The Walrus. Archived from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  149. ^ Examples of commentators discussing the casting backlash after the series premiered:
  150. ^ Hoffer, Christian (December 19, 2022). "Amazon Studios Talks The Lord of the Rings' Success, Competing With House of the Dragon, and Plans for Season 2". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
  151. ^ Vary, Adam B. (October 3, 2024). "Toxic Fandom: How Hollywood Is Battling Fans Who Are 'Just Out for Blood' — From Social Media Boot Camps to Superfan Focus Groups". Variety. Archived from the original on October 3, 2024. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  152. ^ Rice, Lynette; Hipes, Patrick (July 12, 2023). "Emmy Nominations: The Complete List". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 12, 2023. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
  153. ^ Petski, Denise (February 19, 2023). "Art Directors Guild Awards: 'Everything Everywhere', 'Babylon', 'Glass Onion' Take Top Film Prizes — Full Winners List". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 19, 2023. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  154. ^ Pener, Degen; Schmidt, Ingrid (February 28, 2023). "Costume Designers Guild Award 2023 Winners Include Elvis, Wednesday and House of the Dragon". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  155. ^ Panaligan, E. J.; Earl, William (January 16, 2023). "Critics' Choice Awards 2023 Full Winners List: 'Everything Everywhere All at Once,' 'Abbott Elementary' and 'Better Call Saul' Take Top Honors". Variety. Archived from the original on January 16, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  156. ^ Vlessing, Etan (March 16, 2023). "Everything Everywhere All at Once Wins Big at 2023 Critics Choice Super Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 16, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  157. ^ Piña, Christy (December 6, 2022). "People's Choice Awards: 'Doctor Strange 2', 'Don't Worry Darling' Take Top Prizes". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  158. ^ Hipes, Patrick (December 6, 2023). "'Avatar: The Way Of Water', 'Oppenheimer', 'Star Trek' Series Lead Nominations For Genre-Focused Saturn Awards". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 6, 2023. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  159. ^ Davis, Clayton; Moreau, Jordan (January 11, 2023). "SAG Awards 2023 Nominations: 'Banshees' and 'Everything Everywhere' Tie for Most Nods in History". Variety. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  160. ^ Pedersen, Erik (January 17, 2023). "VES Awards Nominations: 'Avatar: The Way Of Water' Smashes Records With 14 Noms From Visual Effects Society". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  161. ^ Pederson, Erik (February 15, 2023). "'Avatar: The Way Of Water' Dominates VES Awards With Nine Wins; Three For 'Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio' – Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 16, 2023. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Lord_of_the_Rings:_The_Rings_of_Power&oldid=1257874770"