A new synopsis from Amazon’s ridiculously expensive “Lord of The Rings” series has made its way online. First posted by The One Ring, it has been authenticated by Deadline and IGN. The synopsis has plenty of hints of what is going to happen in the high-fantasy show that takes place during The Second Age of Middle-earth, thousands of years before the events of Peter Jackson’s “The Hobbit” or “The Lord of Rings” trilogies.
“Amazon Studios’ forthcoming series 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, and will take viewers 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 the greatest villain 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 re-emergence 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 furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.”
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They tease J.R.R. Tolkien’s “greatest villain” which one can deduct is going to be Mairon aka Sauron, the second Dark Lord of Middle-earth, given that he was the main threat of that era. I say second, because, at the tail-end of The First Age, the original Dark Lord Morgoth was banished to the Void. Sauron is a Maia (like the wizards) that became a disciple of Melkor aka Morgoth during The First Age, which has been covered in things like The Silmarillion. However, The First Age is expected to be off-limits to Amazon.
Amazon previously confirmed the kingdom of Númenor would be featured in the series when they released maps establishing The Second Age setting. It’s essentially J.R.R. Tolkien’s version of the Atlantis myth as the island kingdom has advanced technology, a powerful fleet of ships, extended life compared to the human population in The Third Age, but still are jealous of the immortality granted to the elves. The fall of Númenor is directly tied to Sauron’s discourse and deception. In his beautiful form, he stokes so much resentment within the hierarchy of the kingdom towards the elves that it inspires events that lead to the sinking of Númenor and the survivors fleeing to the mainland.
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Locations such as the elf kingdom of Lindon are also mentioned in the synopsis which has a connection of sorts to the elf prince Celebrimbor, the forger that was tricked into creating the rings of power. The rings given to men created the Nazgul, the shadowy undead servants of Sauron. The Witch King of Angmar is apparently a former king of Númenor and we might see who those men were before becoming the Nazgul.
The Misty Mountains are referenced too and happens to be where the dwarf kingdom of Moria is located, which could suggest that dwarves are appearing in the series. Moria was the location of a battle flashback sequence in “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” and where the Company of The Ring encounter the Balrog in “The Fellowship of The Ring. “
Filming is underway in Auckland, New Zealand. A 2021 debut is expected.