Mega budget Lord of the Rings series titled The Rings of Power, fans say 'please be good'

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"The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" is the official title of the much-anticipated "The Lord of the Rings" series, streaming platform Amazon Prime Video has announced. Based on JRR Tolkien's fabled Second Age of Middle-earth's history when the rings were forged by Sauron, the epic drama will premiere on September 2, with new episodes dropping weekly.

Amazon did the title reveal in a new video that was shared across the streamer's social media platforms on Wednesday. "The Lord of the Rings" series is led by showrunners and executive producers JD Payne and Patrick McKay.

Payne and McKay said the title of the series is the one that they imagine could live on the spine of a book next to Tolkien's other classics. "'The Rings of Power' unites all the major stories of Middle-earth's Second Age: the forging of the rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, the epic tale of Numenor, and the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. Until now, audiences have only seen on-screen the story of the One Ring - but before there was one, there were many. and we're excited to share the epic story of them all," the showrunners said.

The official synopsis for the series states that "The Rings of Power" follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth.

"From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Numenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone," it further read.

As the title of the upcoming show was revealed, fans erred on the side of caution. One social media user wrote, "Please be good," while another one said, "cautiously optimistic." The Lord of the Rings is one of the most followed and loved movie franchises of all times. It has attained cult fan following and while the new show is highly anticipated, it will be on the radar of the purists. It is said the including the marketing and publicity cost, The Rings of Power could be the first ever USD 1 billion show. The stakes are high for the makers on this one.   

Headlining the ensemble cast are Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Maxim Baldry, Nazanin Boniadi, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Cordova, Charles Edwards, Trystan Gravelle and Sir Lenny Henry. Other executive producers are Lindsey Weber, Callum Greene, JA Bayona, Belen Atienza, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, Gennifer Hutchison, Bruce Richmond, and Sharon Tal Yguado. Christopher Newman is producing. Amazon has already ordered a second season.

The series will be produced by Amazon Studios in cooperation with the Tolkien Estate and Trust, HarperCollins, and New Line Cinema, a division of Warner Bros Entertainment.

(With PTI inputs)