Filming has just wrapped on Amazon's Lord of the Rings TV series. Photo / Amazon
Filming has just wrapped on Amazon's Lord of the Rings TV series. Photo / Amazon
The yet-to-be titled Amazon Original The Lord of the Rings series finally has a release date.
Filming has just wrapped on the first season of the series in West Auckland, and it's been announced the series will premiere on September 2, 2022.
The drama promises to bring to life JRR Tolkien's Second Age of Middle-Earth's history for the first time, set thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place.
The ensemble cast includes Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Maxim Baldry, Nazanin Boniadi, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Charles Edwards, Trystan Gravelle, Sir Lenny Henry and Ema Horvath.
Head of Amazon Studios Jennifer Salke said the show will take audiences on a "new and epic journey".
"Our talented producers, cast, creative and production teams have worked tirelessly in New Zealand to bring this untold and awe-inspiring vision to life," she said.
Showrunners and executive producers JD Payne and Patrick McKay, who are leading the series, said it's been "the adventure of a lifetime".
It comes after several sources spoke to the Weekend Herald claiming safety standards were not maintained on set.
At least three stunt workers on the Kumeu Studios set were seriously injured, with one resulting in a $500,000 compensation payment from Amazon. At least two injuries requiring injury were not reported to WorkSafe.
Actress Morfydd Clark will reportedly star as a young Galadriel in the series. Photo / Amazon
World-famous Kiwi stuntwoman sustained a head injury on set in March. Scans revealed she had an 8mm brain aneurysm and an injury to her upper spine.
Her head injury wasn't reported to WorkSafe as Amazon claimed it did not meet the threshold for reporting.
In January this year, Amazon released the show's official synopsis.
"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."
Fans can look forward to learning more about the villainous Dark Lord Sauron as well as new characters, locations and story arcs.
"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," the Amazon synopsis concluded.
