The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 1
2022 television season / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The first season of the American fantasy television series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power 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. Set thousands of years before the novel in the Second Age of Middle-earth, the season depicts the emergence of the Dark Lord Sauron and the forging of the first Rings of Power. It was produced by Amazon Studios in association with New Line Cinema and with J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay as showrunners.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power | |
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Season 1 | |
Showrunners | |
No. of episodes | 8 |
Release | |
Original network | Amazon Prime Video |
Original release | September 1 (2022-09-01) – October 14, 2022 (2022-10-14) |
Season chronology | |
List of episodes |
Amazon acquired the television rights to The Lord of the Rings in November 2017 and made a multi-season commitment for a new series. Payne and McKay were set to develop it in July 2018, and a large international cast was hired. Filming was confirmed to take place in New Zealand, where Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies were made, after negotiations between Amazon and the New Zealand government. The production intended to evoke the films with similar production design, and Wētā Workshop returned to provide prosthetics. Filming began in February 2020, but was placed on hold in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Production resumed in September and wrapped in August 2021, taking place in Auckland and on location around New Zealand. J. A. Bayona, Wayne Che Yip, and Charlotte Brändström directed episodes of the season. Post-production took place in New Zealand until June 2022, and Wētā FX returned from the films as one of the visual effects vendors. Bear McCreary spent a year composing the original score.
The season premiered on the streaming service Amazon Prime Video on September 1, 2022, with its first two episodes. This followed an extensive marketing campaign that attempted to win over dissatisfied Tolkien fans. The other six episodes were released weekly until October 14. Amazon said the season was the most-watched of any Prime Video original series, and third-party analytics companies also estimated its viewership to be high. Commentators compared the season's viewership to that of the concurrent fantasy series House of the Dragon. The season received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for its visuals and musical score but criticism for its pacing and characterization. Responses from audiences, including vocal Tolkien fans, were mixed; commentary on the audience response focused on backlash to the diverse cast. The season received various accolades, including six Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Award nominations. Production on the second season, which was ordered in November 2019, was moved to the United Kingdom.