The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is Now Streaming on Prime Video
After many years of development and production The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is finally streaming on Amazon Prime Video with its first two episodes. Amazon previously made headlines for dropping a ton of money on getting the rights to The Lord of the Rings franchise to develop their own series, something that could really put them on the map and compete with the likes of Game of Thrones on HBO and The Mandalorian on Disney+. Based on initial reactions to the show it seems like they got their wish, and with a five season plan already in place the journey has only just begun.
How to Watch The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
The new series can only be streamed on Amazon Prime Video, be it directly through an internet browser or on a Prime Video app on a Smart TV or other device. The series is only available to watch for Amazon Prime subscribers, available on a monthly or annual subscription, but you can sign up for it here.
What's the story in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?
With the primary story of J.R.R. Tolkein's The Lord of the Rings novels being set during "The Third Age" of Middle-earth, The Rings of Power TV series is actually set during "The Second Age." This period of time is many thousands of years before the Fellowship of the Ring would be put together and focuses on the time when Sauron would rise to power and eventually meld in the creation of the titular Rings of Power. In short, it's a prequel to The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
How is The Rings of Power Connected to The Lord of the Rings?
The series does feature some characters that also appear in The Lord of the Rings including Elrond, Galadriel, and a few others. In large part the show is about the creation of The Rings of Power, which are the driving force of the plot in The Lord of the Rings since The One Ring is its central plot.
What is the budget for Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?
When news first broke that Amazon was gearing up for a Lord of the Rings TV series it came with a gigantic price tag. Securing the rights to make the series alone reportedly cost the streamer almost $250 million, a huge cost for content that didn't even have any talent attached at the time. At the time in 2017 it was reported that each season could be in the $100 to $150 million range, figures that were put together years before the COVID-19 pandemic which has resulted in production costs skyrocketing around the globe. Should the show's five season plan come together it could push the costs associated with the show at being over a billion dollars. For reference however, HBO's recent House of the Dragon reportedly cost over $20 million an episode, meaning its 10-episode first season was about $200 million.
Who made the new The Lord of the Rings show?
The new series hails from creators J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay, best known for working as script doctors in Hollywood, which features a handful of episodes directed by The Impossible and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom's J.A. Bayona. There's a powerhouse roster of executive producers attached as well including former Game of Thrones' Bryan Cogman as a consulting producer.
Is Peter Jackson involved in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power?
Despite reports that they were looking for a way to involve the Oscar-winning director of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Peter Jackson is not involved in any way with the TV series The Rings of Power. Jackson previously opened up about how he'd spoken with Amazon about working on the show but said he was ghosted by the production. Rumors have circulated in the time since that the estate of Tolkein didn't want Jackson involved, in addition to perhaps creating confusion about the show's relationship with his movies.