How LOTR: Rings of Power's Middle-earth Is Different From The Movies

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, the upcoming Amazon Prime Video prequel series to The Lord of the Rings, will showcase a different Middle-earth to what was represented in Peter Jackson's earlier films. In the original The Lord of The Rings trilogy, as well as the follow-up The Hobbit trilogy, to fully realize the world J. R. R. Tolkien created in his high-fantasy novels of the same names proved to be a massive undertaking for Jackson. The films went on to make billions at the box office and won multiple awards, including the Academy Award for Best Picture for The Lord of The Rings: The Return of the King.

The Lord of the Rings book and films took place in a fictional world called Middle-earth, a medieval-inspired fantasy world consisting of various mythical creatures and races of beings such as Dwarves, Elves, and Hobbits. Jackson's films were originally shot on-location in sets built in New Zealand, as well as in its national parks and forests. The Hobbit village of the Shire still remains today, and serves as a major tourist attraction for fans from all over the world.

Now, Empire catches up with The Rings of Power concept artist John Howe and discusses the world of the upcoming The Lord of the Rings prequel series. Set thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, the new television show will portray a version of Middle-earth that has yet to be depicted on screen. The series will feature tales from the land's Second Age, prior to the wars that scarred Middle-earth, as seen in Jackson's Third Age film series. The show will focus on the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, the forging of the Rings of Power, and the destruction of the prosperous kingdom of Númenor. Read what Howe says about the different version of Middle-earth in The Rings of Power below:

This isn’t the Middle-earth you remember. This is a world that’s very vibrant. The elves are not hidden away in Mirkwood or lingering in Rivendell. They’re busy constructing kingdoms. The dwarven kingdom of Moria is not an abandoned mine and the Grey Havens is not yet an abandoned city. I loved having the opportunity to explore that unseen history.

We’re finally sailing on the oceans of Middle-earth. [The Elves] are daunting and enterprising and are almost colonizing the world. They were a lot of fun to imagine. It’s something neither Lord Of The Rings nor Hobbit movies went anywhere near.

The Battle of Helms Deep in The Lord of the Rings The Two Towers

The mines of Moria were briefly seen in a tense sequence in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, in which the Fellowship traveled through the subterranean ruins of a once great Dwarven city. The television series promises a glimpse at what the city looked like before it was destroyed and infested with orcs and other creatures. Howe also shares that audiences will see the lives of Elves prior to their sheltered existence hidden in the dark forest of Mirkwood. The elves will travel the seas of the world, revealing a more vast and vibrant Middle-earth.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is shaping up to be a Middle-earth experience that may rival that of Jackson's acclaimed film trilogies. Those films set a high bar for faithfully adapting the experience that Tolkien expertly crafted in his series of world-renowned novels. Although the series' production was delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, The Rings of Power is set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video September 2.