Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power is set to take the franchise in a diverse new direction, featuring the first ever black elf in Middle Earth’s history.
New images for the much-anticipated series, which has a reported budget of $465 million, have been released by Vanity Fair, and show Ismael Cruz Córdova taking on the role of silvan elf Arondir.
The Rings Of Power, which is set to air its first trailer during Sunday’s Super Bowl ahead of its release on Prime Video on September 2, will take place thousands of years before the Fellowship begin their quest to destroy Sauron’s ring.
Exciting: Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power is set to take the franchise in a diverse new direction, featuring the first ever black elf in Middle Earth’s history
The series’ origins come from the detailed appendices J.R.R Tolkien penned to accompany his original series of books, helping to flesh out the incredible world of Middle Earth that would become so renowned.
Set thousands of years before both The Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit were released, the series will cover major events that took place during the Second Age of Middle Earth.
20 years after the original film trilogy was released, the show will juggle a whopping 22 characters and multiple storylines, fleshing out the various lands and battles that were briefly touched on while Frodo journeyed to Mount Doom.
Coming soon: The series, which is set for release on Prime Video on September 2, has revealed new images, with one showcasing Morfydd Clark as returning character Galadriel
From deep within the dwarf mines of the Misty Mountains to the high politics of the elven kingdom of Lindon and the humans’ powerful, Atlantis-like island, Númenor, all the stories will eventually culminate in the incident that gives the trilogy its name.
The series is set to feature the most diverse cast in the franchise’s history, and along with starring a black elf, Lenny Henry will star as a harfoot elder.
Sophia Nomvete also stars as a dwarven princess named Disa – making her the first black, and female, woman to play a dwarf in the Lord of the Rings universe.
Executive producer Lindsey Weber, explained: ‘It felt only natural to us that an adaptation of Tolkien’s work would reflect what the world actually looks like.
‘Tolkien is for everyone. His stories are about his fictional races doing their best work when they leave the isolation of their own cultures and come together.’
Blast from the past: The regal elf was previously played by Cate Blanchett in both the Lord Of The Rings trilogy and The Hobbit prequel series
Speaking to the publication, creators Patrick McKay and JD Payne also admitted they are well aware of fans’ high expectations for the show.
‘The forging of the rings, rings for the elves, rings for dwarves, rings for men, and then the one ring Sauron used to deceive them all.
‘It’s the story of the creation of all those powers, where they came from, and what they did to each of those races,’ McKay said.
Asked for the driving force behind the entire production, he added: ‘Can we come up with the novel Tolkien never wrote and do it as the mega-event series that could only happen now?’
It’s no surprise that some of the show’s characters will be familiar to Middle Earth fans, with the royal elf Galadriel set to appear, though she will not be played by Cate Blanchett.
Instead, the character will be played by Saint Maud star, Morfydd Clark, regressing the heroine back to a brash elf who is commanding the Northern Armies in a desperate fight for the future.
Expensive: The series, which has a reported budget of more than $400 million, will focus on Middle Earths’ Second Age, and the turmoil that eventually begins Sauron’s rise to power
McKay also dismissed concerns from fans that the series could be heading in a Game Of Thrones-esque direction, after it was reported that Amazon hired an intimacy coordinator for the series’ set in New Zealand.
He added that their was ‘to make a show for everyone, for kids who are 11, 12, and 13, even though sometimes they might have to pull the blanket up over their eyes if it’s a little too scary.
‘We talked about the tone in Tolkien’s books. This is material that is sometimes scary—and sometimes very intense, sometimes quite political, sometimes quite sophisticated—but it’s also heartwarming and life-affirming and optimistic.
‘It’s about friendship and it’s about brotherhood and underdogs overcoming great darkness.’
Amazon are yet to confirm the vast budget for the series, but it’s thought to be an eye-watering $462 million, when factoring in the huge sum Amazon paid to get the rights from the Tolkien estate.
Icons: The Lord Of The Rings films were released from 2001 to 2003, becoming one of the most praised film series in history (Ian McKellen pictured as Gandalf and Elijah Wood as Frodo)
The eye-watering figure also includes building infrastructure that will be used in later seasons – and it’s been offset by a $108 million tax rebate.
Once the show has taken its global marketing campaign into consideration, it’s likely the final cost could top $1 billion.
The Lord Of The Rings original trilogy was released annually from 2001 to 2003, becoming the most acclaimed fantasy film series in history.
The conclusion to the series, titled Return Of The King, became the first ever film of its kind of win the Academy Award for Best Picture, while Peter Jackson won Best Director.
In 2012 Jackson returned to the series to direct the prequel series The Hobbit, based on Tolkien’s book of the same name.
The first teaser for The Rings Of Power was released last month, unveiling the show’s official title for the first time.
The voice-over said: ‘Three rings for the elven-kings under the sky. Seven for the Dwarf-lords, in their halls of stone.
‘Nine for mortal men, doomed to die. One for the Dark Lord, on his dark throne in the land of Mordor where the shadows lie.’
Fans will get their first official glimpse of the show on Sunday, with a trailer set to air during the Super Bowl.
Last week it was also revealed that the price for Prime Video is set to increase for US viewers, going from $119 (£88) to $139 (£102) for an annual subscription, while monthly charges will be bumped up to $14.99.
Read the full story ‘Amazon’s Lord of the Rings Series Rises: Inside The Rings of Power’ by Anthony Breznican and Joanna Robinson.
The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings of Power will be released on Prime Video on Wednesday, September 2.
Upcoming: The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings of Power premieres on Wednesday, September 2 (L-R ean Astin, Elijah Wood, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd in The Fellowship Of The Ring)
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