Following the announcement of Amazon Prime's multi-series production of Lord of the Rings, there has been virtual radio silence regarding the highly anticipated show.
Thanks to a massive $465 million budget, the series has been billed as "the biggest TV show in history", with filming under way in New Zealand since the start of 2020.
Recently, Amazon dropped the production's first image, depicting a stunning landscape, just as shooting wrapped.
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Here is all you need to know about the forthcoming series.
When is Lord of the Rings' release date?
Amazon announced that the show will be released on September 2, 2022.
The programme will air exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 territories and nations all over the world.
Eight episodes will be available in total, arriving on a weekly basis, for the first season.
Who is in the Lord of the Rings cast?
An ensemble cast has been announced, but it remains to be seen who they will play.
The lead cast includes the following:
Cynthia Addai-Robinson
Known for her roles as Naevia in Spartacus and DC Comics character Amanda Waller in Arrow. Since 2016, she has played the role of Nadine Memphis on the USA Network series Shooter.
Robert Aramayo
The Englishman played Young Ned Stark on seasons 6 and 7 of HBO’s blockbuster Game Of Thrones . He also starred as Bill Harley in Discovery’s Harley and the Davidsons series and co-stars in the upcoming Netflix show Behind the Eyes.
Owain Arthur
Probably best known for his role of Glen Thomas in BBC’s Casualty, Arthur has appeared in numerous shows including Death In Paradise, Hard Sun, London Kills and A Confession. International exposure now beckons with his involvement in this LOTR production.
Maxim Baldry
Best known for playing Viktor Gorarya in BBC series Years & Years, he has also starred in Hollyoaks as Liam Donovan. Baldry is reportedly set for a significant role on this Amazon Prime creation.
Nazanin Boniadi
The 41-year old Iran-born actress appeared in the award winning series Homeland. Her other credits include How I Met Your Mother, Hotel Mumbai, Grey’s Anatomy and Zoolander 2.
Morfydd Clark
Clark starred as Sister Clara in the BBC series His Dark Materials. The young actress has also appeared in The Alienist, and the 2020 series, Dracula.
Others set to appear in the show include Ismael Cruz Córdova, Charles Edwards, Trystan Gravelle, Sir Lenny Henry, Ema Horvath, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete and Lloyd Owen.
What is the plot for Amazon Prime Video's Lord of the Rings show?
The series goes back to the Second Age of Middle-earth's history in Tolkien's books, thousands of years before the events depicted in The Lord of the Rings as well as The Hobbit.
In the featured period, a number of key events from The Lord of the Rings are played out, including Elrond's establishment of the refuge of Rivendell and the emergence of the Ringwraiths.
The Rings of Power were also forged during the Second Age.
At present, there is no trailer for Amazon's Lord of the Rings show, but filming has recently wrapped in New Zealand.
A preview will likely follow early next year.
