Today, San Diego transformed into Middle-earth, as Prime Video showcased its highly-anticipated and epic upcoming series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, for a dazzled Hall H audience at San Diego Comic-Con. You can watch the new Comic-Con trailer using the player below!
The series’ creators and ensemble cast assembled on the prestigious Hall H stage, thrilling 6,500 fans who packed the convention center hall after camping overnight on the streets of San Diego in hopes of witnessing the history-making event. Their efforts to be part of the series’ Comic-Con debut were rewarded with the unveiling of the new trailer and a sneak peek at several scenes from the series.
In a surprise and delightful moment, The Late Show host — and Tolkien superfan — Stephen Colbert was revealed as the panel’s moderator. He joined series showrunners J.D. Payne & Patrick McKay, executive producer Lindsey Weber, and 21 members of the ensemble cast for a panel that was among the largest for a single series in San Diego Comic-Con history.
During the epic 90-minute event, the cast and creators interacted with fans in person for the very first time, discussing their love of J.R.R. Tolkien’s incredible legendarium and the gratifying process of bringing the beloved author’s fabled Second Age to life – from the series’ new and legendary characters to the incredible realms of Middle-earth, including the island of Númenor, which has never before been seen on screen.
A plethora of exclusive sneak peeks and surprises were shared with Hall H fans, including the premiere of an all-new San Diego Comic-Con trailer, which was introduced by showrunners Payne & McKay. The thrilling trailer focuses on the long-feared reemergence of evil in Middle-earth and gives a first look at some of the spine-tingling characters that the series’ heroes will be battling.
In a special Hall H-first moment, Emmy award-winning composer Bear McCreary, who created the series’ episodic score, took to the stage with a 25-piece orchestra and 16-person choir to treat the audience to an exclusive live performance of highlights of the never-before-heard series soundtrack.
The highly anticipated series will premiere on the streaming service on Friday, September 2. The show will debut in more than 240 countries around the world in multiple languages, with new episodes available weekly.
Already renewed for a second season, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history. 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.
Viewers will be taken back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and one of the greatest villains that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness.
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 reemergence of evil to Middle-earth.
From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the farthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.
The series is led by showrunners and executive producers J.D. Payne & Patrick McKay. They are joined by executive producers Lindsey Weber, Callum Greene, J.A. Bayona, Belén Atienza, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, Gennifer Hutchison, Bruce Richmond, and Sharon Tal Yguado.
The producers are Ron Ames and Christopher Newman. Wayne Che Yip is a co-executive producer and directs along with J.A. Bayona and Charlotte Brändström.
The series stars Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Maxim Baldry, Nazanin Boniadi, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Charles Edwards, Trystan Gravelle, Sir Lenny Henry, Ema Horvath Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Lloyd Owen, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Charlie Vickers, Leon Wadham, Benjamin Walker, Daniel Weyman, and Sara Zwangobani.
A world-renowned literary work and winner of the International Fantasy Award and Prometheus Hall of Fame Award, The Lord of the Rings was named Amazon customers’ favorite book of the millennium in 1999 and Britain’s best-loved novel of all time in BBC’s “The Big Read” in 2003.
The Lord of the Rings books (See on Amazon) have been translated into over 38 languages and have sold more than 150 million copies.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills in 2018 to cover the latest news on streaming, movies, TV, and video games.