Synopsis of LOTR series revealed

Amazon has announced the premise of its muchanticipated new The Lord of the Rings TV series, which is being filmed in New Zealand.

Releasing the show’s official synopsis, Amazon revealed that the series will be set thousands of years before the events of the LOTR film trilogy.

Fans of the fantasy realm in which the series is set will be delighted to discover key background to Middle-Earth, with the series set to “delve into the heroic legends of the fabled Second-Age of MiddleEarth’s history”, according to TheOneRing.net.

The Second Age was touched on briefly in the prologue to The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), the first film, leaving many fans keen for more on this key period.

“This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings, and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness,” the synopsis reveals.

Fans can look forward to learning more about the villainous Dark Lord Sauron as well as new characters, locations and story arcs.

The series is led by showrunners and executive producers JD Payne and Patrick McKay.

Last April the Hollywood Reporter estimated the Amazon production would cost $1.5 billion, but an industry insider has told the Herald that figure was modest, and suggested it could have a $3b price tag.

Set to be the most expensive television show ever, production for the Amazon series, due to start in West Auckland in early 2020, was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Actors confirmed to be starring in the series include British actor Robert Aramayo ( Mindhunter), Nazanin Boniadi ( Bombshell, Homeland) and Morfydd Clark ( His Dark Materials, Dracula). Originally due to begin streaming early this year, an official release date is yet to be confirmed.