Here's The Complete Release Schedule For The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power
"The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" is arguably the biggest show to debut this year. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos famously mandated in 2017 that Prime Video — the retail giant's streaming division — bring him something on the scale of "Game of Thrones" (via Variety). At the time, the HBO show's relevancy was at a fever pitch. Months later, Variety reported that Bezos personally involved himself in negotiations to nab the rights to J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved literary world. Now, five years and a $465 million budget later (via The Hollywood Reporter), "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" is set to debut this September.
A prequel series, "The Rings of Power," will dive deep into Middle Earth's mysterious Second Age. Though details are slim on how exactly the prequel will be framed, the latest trailer for the Prime Video series has confirmed that we will see the early days of the Dark Lord Sauron, the primary antagonist from "The Lord of the Rings" series. The prequel will also dive deep into the origins of some of the franchise's most iconic characters, like Elrond (Robert Aramayo), played by Hugo Weaving in the film series.
The series, which was once shrouded in secrecy, is now finally opening itself up to audiences. Now, after months of anticipation, Prime Video subscribers finally know when they can start watching "The Rings of Power."
The Lord of the Rings series will debut with two episodes
"Lord of the Rings" fans are in for a treat when "The Rings of Power" debuts next month. The official Twitter account for the highly-anticipated fantasy series revealed that the debut will kick off with a two-episode premiere which starts on September 1 stateside. "The Rings of Power" will be available to watch on Prime Video starting at 9 p.m. ET, just in time for Labor Day weekend. The first two episodes will be available around the world at the same time. Middle Earth fans in the United Kingdom will be able to stream the premiere at 2 a.m., while those in Central Europe can begin their journey with "The Rings of Power" at 3 a.m.
The rest of the six episodes in the season will debut individually on a weekly basis, starting at 12 a.m. ET stateside on Fridays until October 14. J.R.R. Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey, who is working on the series as a supervisor, suggested in 2019 that the first season of the then-unnamed "Rings of Power" would consist of 20 episodes. While an eight-episode season may seem short, it remains to be seen how long individual episodes will be for the prequel series. And while "The Rings of Power" may be debuting alongside rival fantasy series "House of the Dragon," Amazon isn't worried. The streaming giant has already committed to a five-season plan for the pricy series (via Empire).
Prime Video's "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" will debut stateside on September 1.