The hype surrounding new Amazon Prime Video series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power has reached an all-time high. Audiences will be transported back to author J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy world, with the history of Middle-earth put under the spotlight. Alongside the legions of fans that will come in from the original film trilogy and books however, will of course come a batch of new viewers enjoying their first trip to Middle-earth. But do you need to watch The Lord of the Rings before The Rings of Power?
Can I watch The Rings of Power without watching Lord of the Rings?
Don’t worry if you haven’t seen The Lord of the Rings and want to watch The Rings of Power. The series takes place thousands of years before the events of that trilogy, as well as The Hobbit, allowing those fresh to the franchise to jump right in. Of course, those who do have some knowledge as to the stories told on screen so far will have a deeper understanding of everything being explored in this new series.
Those who have seen the Lord of the Rings movies will recognize a number of familiar characters, such as Galadriel, Elrond, and even Sauron. The time difference however, means that they will be played by entirely new actors. The Rings of Power will explore their stories, as well as those of a bunch of fresh faces, as Middle-earth moves from a time of peace into the chaotic events of the Second Age.
Whilst The Rings of Power will lay the foundations for the events of the former Lord of the Rings movies, there are going to be a number of other paths that the showrunners go down to ensure a fresh and unique viewing experience for everybody at home.
Of course, if you haven’t seen the Lord of the Rings trilogy, it’s definitely worth the time. If you can put a dozen hours aside ahead of watching The Rings of Power, make sure you do so.
Is The Rings of Power based on a book?
There is no singular text upon which The Rings of Power is based. Instead, the stories told are adapted from a number of works by Tolkien, which span thousands of years. Many of these tales will be condensed so that they can be told in a timely manner throughout the series, but we imagine all of the important details will be kept in place to ensure a faithful retelling.
One piece of literature the show is sure to draw from, is The Silmarillion. Serving as a collection of Middle-earth historical texts rather than a novel, writers on The Rings of Power are likely to have a lot of creative freedom with their series. There is also the 12-volume The History of Middle-earth for showrunners to adapt, along with published letters Tolkien wrote to Humphrey Carpenter, detailing the years before Bilbo Baggins.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premieres on Prime Video on September 1.
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