In the months since the initial announcement that Amazon would develop a brand-new “Lord of the Rings” TV series, expected to cost the company upwards of $1 billion when all is said and done, fans have been speculating endlessly as to what they can expect. Would this series be a longer, more in-depth dive into the trilogy of novels that Peter Jackson so famously brought to the big screen? Would the serve as a prequel, focusing on the early adventures of a young Aragorn? Well, we still don’t have a specific plot, but the latest details about the series answer both those questions with a resounding “Not even close!”
Over the last couple of days, ‘Rings’ fans were energized, as Amazon began teasing the setting of the new series. But with a tweet that went out this morning, simply saying, “Welcome to the Second Age,” those fans finally got the answer to one of the biggest questions surrounding the series – namely, WHEN it will be set. And the “when” is actually way earlier than many were predicting.
We already know that Amazon is in the bag for multiple seasons of “Lord of the Rings.” So, it should be no surprise that the studio isn’t interested in starting right off in the famous trilogy. Instead, it appears the series will start in the mysterious “Second Age” of Middle-Earth. What is the Second Age? Well, there’s plenty of broad information about that era, which takes place well before any of your familiar ‘Rings’ characters, or their ancestors for that matter, were even close to being brought to life and is said to span over 3400 years.
What the series will likely focus on in the Second Age is the rise to power for the ultimate ‘Rings’ villain Sauron and his eventual demise. Much like what the “Wizarding World” franchise is doing with ‘Fantastic Beasts,’ Amazon will focus on an era of ‘Rings’ lore that hasn’t fully been explored and is ripe for expansion, with plenty of familiar names and locations being dotted around for good measure.
With the full extent of the series still under wraps, it’s quite possible that Amazon is in this for the long haul and doesn’t want to tread on Jackson’s films anytime soon. With the series beginning in the Second Age, there’s plenty of runway for the TV series’ creators to explore before overlapping with the insanely popular films (or their ‘Hobbit’ prequels).
There’s still no release date, as of yet, but casting and more details are expected to drop fairly soon, as ‘Rings’ is a priority for Amazon. So, we’ll keep you posted.
Welcome to the Second Age: https://t.co/Tamd0oRgTw
— The Lord of the Rings on Prime (@LOTRonPrime) March 7, 2019