New Lord of the Rings could shed light on its dark villain

NOTHING escaped the all-seeing Eye of Sauron in JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, but now there is speculation a new Amazon series plans to turn viewers’ eyes on the warlord himself.

Producers for the billion-dollar adaptation have ignited a storm of speculation by revealing the forthcoming show would focus on Middle Earth’s “second age”.

While Tolkien’s celebrated works The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings familiarised readers – and later viewers – with Middle Earth’s third age, less is known about this earlier epoch.

It ended when Sauron, the infamous dark lord whose power is drawn from the One Ring, was defeated in an epic battle of civilisations, banishing his disembodied spirit into hiding. The only physical manifestation of his malevolence was a smouldering, omnipresent eye which loomed over Middle Earth.

Viewers are hoping that Amazon’s announcement means the latest bigbudget attempt to bring Tolkien’s world to life will delve into Sauron’s backstory.

The online streaming giant’s $250 million (£192 million) move for the rights to Lord of the Rings was a big gamble, as it hopes to create a rival to Game of Thrones.

Jennifer Salke, the head of Amazon Studios, has previously said she hoped the series would be ready by 2021.

In a further hint about the show’s possible direction, she added: “We’re not remaking the movies, but we’re also not starting from scratch.”