The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

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 made, 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 from October 2022 to June 2023, finishing amid the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike; and filming for the third season began by May 2025 and wrapped by mid-December. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premiered on September 1, 2022. The first season was released through October and became the most-watched of any Prime Video original series. It received generally positive reviews from critics, particularly for its visuals and designs, but there were criticisms for the writing and pacing. The audience response included vocal responses from Tolkien fans and an online backlash to the diverse cast. The second season, released from August to October 2024, was met with lower viewership, a similar critical response, and an improved audience response. The third season is set to premiere in November 2026.