Showrunners John D. Payne and Patrick McKay told Empire that the script for The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power is complete.

It is expected that the project will consist of five seasons.

The first one will start on September 2, 2022.

“The rights bought by Amazon provide for a 50-hour series.

From the very beginning, they had a good idea of ​​​​the size of the canvas: it should be a large-scale story with a clearly defined beginning, middle and end.

In the first season, there are moments that do not “shoot” until the fifth season, ”Payne explained.

On the screen, viewers will see the world of Middle-earth with new characters, locations, ideas and conflicts.

In addition, the history of elves and dwarves will be revealed.

“In letters (in particular, in one of the letters to his publisher. -

RT

) Tolkien admitted that he would like to create a mythology that would leave “place for other minds and hands, for which paint, music and drama are tools.”

We do what Tolkien wanted,” the producer explained.

Recall that the action of the tape will unfold thousands of years before the events of the original trilogy, in the second era of Middle-earth.  

The story will take viewers to an era when great powers were created, kingdoms rose to glory and fell in ruins, heroes were tested, hope hung on the thinnest threads, and the greatest villain ever released from Tolkien's pen sought to plunge the whole world into darkness. .

“The rich and multifaceted world created by Tolkien is full of greatness, goodness and wisdom,” Payne and McKay told Variety.

“We are incredibly excited to partner with Amazon to bring this world to life on screen again.

We feel like Frodo setting out from the Shire - a huge responsibility on our shoulders, and this is the beginning of an adventure that will be remembered for a lifetime.

  • Shot from the series "The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power"

  • © kinopoisk.ru

In February, Amazon Prime Video released the first teaser trailer for The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power, which revealed a few details about the upcoming project.

From the video, fans of the universe learned about new heroes, such as a man named Halbrand - Charlie Vickers will play his role.

Among other things, already known characters will appear in the plot - for example, the mistress of the elves Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and the half-elf Elrond (Robert Aramayo).

Despite the scale of the project, which can already be seen from the trailer, not all fans were happy with what they saw.

Some fans of Tolkien's work have noted that the plot differs from what is written in the books.

Others have defended the series, arguing that it is only an adaptation.

The choice of actors also caused a mixed reaction.

After the publication in Vanity Fair of footage from the filming of the series, which depicted, among other things, the elf Arondir, one of the bloggers recalled that "blacks and blacks live only in the eastern part of Middle-earth (Easterlings)", thus noting the choice of the actor for the role of Arondir. 

The published footage was also criticized for the excessive use of computer graphics, noting that Galadriel looks "as if he were in a 3D cartoon"‎.

According to users, the original films looked "old and dirty"‎, and the new video turned out to be "too sterile and digital"‎. 

Despite the criticism, many fans are waiting with bated breath for the release of the series.

The director of the first two series was Juan Antonio Bayona (among his latest works is the feature film Jurassic World 2).

Cast includes Nazanin Boniadi (Iron Man), Joseph Mole (Game of Thrones), Charlie Vickers (Medici: Masters of Florence), Daniel Weyman (Van Gogh: A Portrait Painted with Words), Megan Richards (“Wanderlust”), Dylan Smith (“My Name is Night”), Lenny Henry (“Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban”) and others. 

It is known that about $465 million was allocated for the production of the first season of the project - such a budget could make the series the most expensive in history.