Character posters for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power confirm the names of some of the characters. The series will premiere on September 2 on Prime Video with an eight-episode season 1. A season 2 is already in the works, while the creative team has confirmed they've planned out 5 seasons in total. The Rings of Power is not a continuation of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings or Hobbit trilogies, but is intended to depict a different age of Middle-earth.
The Rings of Power will see Middle-earth's Second Age and will cover all the important events of the period, including the forging of the titular Rings of Power and the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron. It will also cover the last alliance between Elves and Men. To tie The Rings of Power into Lord of the Rings, the series will include younger versions of characters from the main trilogy, including Elrond (Robert Aramayo) and Galadriel (Morfydd Clark). Rings of Power will feature a similar production design to Jackson's films but will be different in terms of structure and tone.
To further promote The Rings of Power, Prime Video has released five character posters for the series. Each sheet shows the hands and torso of the characters, and they hold various props that represent their role. Prime also confirmed the names of each character: Celebrimbor, the forger of the titular Rings; Sadoc Burrows, a Harfoot elder; Poppy Proudfellow, a Harfoot; and Largo and Marigold Brandyfoot, two more Harfoots. Check out the posters below.
Though The Rings of Power will feature a large ensemble that encompasses several races of Middle-earth, the new posters focus on one elf (Celebrimbor) and multiple Harfoots (aka Hobbits). Little is known about each character's role in the series, though Celebrimbor in particular is an intriguing figure due to his creating the Rings of Power. The decision to focus on the characters' hands and objects is an interesting choice; while general audiences are very familiar with those like Frodo and Gandalf, The Rings of Power is building up a Middle-earth ensemble that primarily revolves around less well-known figures. Therefore, it remains to be seen if those who enjoyed the Lord of the Rings movies will be pulled back to this fantasy world. It will be interesting to see what Prime Video does to further entice viewers to join these characters on their journeys.
The Rings of Power has its work cut out for it, having to compete with one of the most beloved works of fantasy literature and one of the most acclaimed film adaptations of all time. Given the positive but ultimately underwhelming reception of Prime's The Wheel of Time, the company seems to be putting all its money into The Rings of Power, hoping it can fill a cultural void left by the ending of Game of Thrones. In the end, The Rings of Power looks true to the canon with its characters, but fans will have to wait and see if the series can fulfill its lofty ambitions.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premieres Friday, September 2 on Prime Video.
Source: Prime Video