Amazon’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ series to premiere next year
By Frank Pallotta, CNN Business
Amazon’s highly anticipated, and reportedly quite expensive, “Lord of the Rings” series finally has a premiere date.
The series, which is based on the beloved stories of J.R.R. Tolkien, is set to debut on September 2, 2022 on Prime Video, the company announced on Monday. The show will premiere in 240 countries and territories worldwide and new episodes will be available weekly, according to Amazon.
Filming of the first season ended Monday in New Zealand.
The show will take place “thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books” and will follow an ensemble cast, according to Amazon. Some of those characters will be familiar while others will be new.
“I can’t express enough just how excited we all are to take our global audience on a new and epic journey through Middle-earth!” Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios, said in a statement. “Our talented producers, cast, creative, and production teams have worked tirelessly in New Zealand to bring this untold and awe-inspiring vision to life.”
The still untitled “Lord of the Rings” series is significant for Amazon as the tech giant attempts to further root itself in the streaming world. The show was first announced in 2017 and has garnered attention for its reported production budget.
The Hollywood Reporter reported in April that just one season of the show would cost more than $450 million — a total that blows away the budgets of other major TV shows and series.
The-CNN-Wire
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