It has been quite a while since we had a Lord of the Rings movie showing in theaters. The last movie based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s books was the Hobbit: War of the Five Armies, which premiered in December 2014.
The Lord of the Rings will return to the big screen with the series premiere of the Rings of Power. Fans will get a chance to watch the first two episodes of the TV series in cinemas two days ahead of its worldwide release on Amazon Prime Video.
The move to have a theatrical release for the premiere of a TV series is certainly a bold one. It bucks the trend of movies going directly to streaming platforms, as the movie industry shifts to more of an on-demand service.
The series
The LOTR: Rings of Power is set in Middle Earth some two thousand years prior to the events in the Lord of the Rings trilogy movie. It details the rich history of the land at a time when the kingdoms of Middle Earth were at the height of their majesty.
Rings of Power will be the first time that the Second Age of Middle Earth will be featured in either film or television. Some familiar characters from the LOTR trilogy such as Elrond, Galadriel, and Isildur will be making an appearance in the series.
The show is slated for five seasons and fifty hours of screen time. The show has an expected budget of $1 billion, making it one of the most expensive television series of all time.
More than television
In an interview with Empire, series director J.A. Bayona, mentions that "The Rings of Power is not television". He adds, "It's a new form we're creating here."
Series showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay echo the statement of its director. In a recent interview, they mentioned that the prequel series has more action sequences than "any television or streaming show we've ever seen."
The series will feature an ensemble cast with Ismael Cruz Cordova playing the role of silvan elf Arondir while the elven smith Celebrimbor is played by Charles Edwards. Nazanin Boniadi takes on the role of the human healer Bronwyn, Sophia Nomvete as the dwarven princess Disa, and the human Halbrand will be played by Charlie Vickers
Worldwide screening
Cinemark has created a webpage where fans can reserve tickets to the one-night-only event. The tickets are offered for Cinemark Movie Rewards members in the US and Canada.
Tickets to the Cinemark event will be available for purchase on August 24. Each ticket reservation will include a $10 snack voucher.
According to various sources, screenings will take place in 200 locations globally. Amazon will be hosting screenings in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Argentina, Colombia, Australia, and New Zealand.
The first two episodes of the show will also be premiering three hours earlier than the announced schedule. The global premiere will be 180 minutes long and stream on Amazon Prime Video on September 1 at 9 PM PDT.
