When the hugely anticipated The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power TV finally debuted on Amazon Prime Video, it initially divided fans of the original books and movies.
Fans went into overdrive when the show’s first episode premiered on Amazon Prime Video on September 2, as they caught glimpses of new characters and locations from J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic Lord of The Rings and other novels.
But will diehard fans of Tolkien’s world be satisfied with the latest venture into Middle Earth?
With so much hype before it aired, fans are already wondering how it will stand up to the books and Academy Award-winning LOTR film trilogy directed by Peter Jackson in the early 2000s.
But from the moment the new TV series hit streaming services, it was clear from the very first episode that the show has taken some inspiration from the films fans know and love.
So where can you watch The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power in Australia and what do we know about the show? Keep reading to find out.
When did Rings of Power premiere?
The show premiered on Prime Video on September 2 and for once Aussie fans didn’t have to wait, as the episodes arrived Down Under at the same time as the rest of the world.
Unlike some streaming hits, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power chose not to drop the entire first season in one go. Instead, episodes were being released weekly over an eight-week period, but, with the series finale airing on October 14, you can finally binge this one in a single weekend.
Where to watch Rings of Power
The show is now streaming worldwide on Amazon Prime Video and on Foxtel through the Prime Video app, so make sure you’re signed up. If you don’t already have a Prime account, you can get a 30 day free trial by signing up below.
Stream it on Amazon Prime, live and on demand with a 30 day FREE trial. START FREE TRIAL. Now that the Prime Video app is on Foxtel, you can do it all. Start your free trial here.
How many episodes is Rings of Power?
It is a multi-season drama with eight episodes in the first season, with Amazon releasing two episodes on the premiere date and then one episode each week until the season finale.
We can assume season two will follow the same structure, with eight episodes released over several weeks. As for how season one will end, we expect a cliffhanger to keep fans on the edge of their seats until season two drops.
Episode release schedule
- Episode 1 and 2 – Friday, September 2
- Episode 3 – Friday, September 9
- Episode 4 – Friday, September 16
- Episode 5 – Friday, September 23
- Episode 6 – Friday, September 30
- Episode 7 – Friday, October 7
- Episode 8 – Friday, October 14
WATCH: The Lord Of The Rings: Rings of Power Title Announcement
Is Rings of Power before or after Lord of the Rings?
Created by Amazon Studios, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is actually a prequel set thousands of years before the Lord Of The Rings – including what we saw in the movies directed by Peter Jackson.
“This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books, and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin… and one of the greatest villains that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness,” Amazon announced in July.
“Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth.”
Where can I watch The Lord of the Rings trilogy?
Though The Lord of The Rings is set long after the events of Rings Of Power, some characters cross over between the two properties. If you want to catch up on the Peter Jackson movie trilogy, you can stream it on Amazon Prime Video, Stan, BINGE, Paramount+, Foxtel Now and Netflix.
How does the Rings of Power compare to the Lord of the Rings movies?
Unlike the movies, the Amazon TV show is set during the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth. For reference, the Peter Jackson films take place during the Third Age, meaning the events of the TV series are set before the events of the movies starring Elijah Wood, Orlando Bloom and more.
As well as a whole new cast of elves and dwarves, the Amazon series features human characters from the island kingdom of Númenor, including two who appear in the Peter Jackson movies. They are Isildur (played by Maxim Baldry) and his father Elendil (played by Lloyd Owen), who appear in the prologue to the Fellowship of the Ring movie.
Other characters that cross over between the two projects include Galadriel and Elrond, who were played by Cate Blanchet and Hugo Weaving in the films. Their TV counterparts are portrayed by Morfydd Clark and Robert Aramayo.
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