How to Watch The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power – Release Date and Cast
Amazon’s highly anticipated, big-budget Lord of the Rings series is nearly here. This cinematic return to Middle-earth doesn’t merely retell J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved stories, rather it builds on the author’s legacy with an all-new tale set thousands of years before The Lord of the Rings. “It’s a bold approach,” reads our Rings of Power premiere review, “and here fortune has favored it. The two-episode premiere marks a strong start, with breathtaking cinematography, excellent acting, and a story that – after a somewhat labored set-up – shows some serious promise and intrigue.”
Amazon will debut Rings of Power’s first two episodes on September 1. If you’re wondering what it’s about or how you can watch it yourself, take a look at the information below.
How to Watch The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power
The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power will debut with a two-episode premiere on September 1 at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT / 2 a.m. (September 2) UK / 11 a.m. (September 2) AU, exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. Subsequent episodes will be released each Friday through October 14.
How Many Episodes of Rings of Power Are There?
Rings of Power’s first season will have eight episodes, each of which will run for roughly one hour. The season 1 tentative episode schedule is as follows:
- Episode 1 (September 1)
- Episode 2 (September 1)
- Episode 3 (September 9)
- Episode 4 (September 16)
- Episode 5 (September 23)
- Episode 6 (September 30)
- Episode 7 (October 7)
- Episode 8 (October 14)
Following the two-episode premiere, new episodes will be released weekly at the following times:
- Pacific Time: 9 p.m. Thursdays
- Eastern Time: 12 a.m. Fridays
- UK: 6 a.m. Fridays
- AU: 2 p.m. Fridays
What’s Rings of Power About?
Rings of Power is set during Middle-earth’s Second Age, thousands of years before The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Here’s an official plot synopsis from Amazon:
[Rings of Power] 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 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.
Who’s in the Cast?
Rings of Power is developed by showrunners J.D. Payne & Patrick McKay. It stars the following actors:
- Cynthia Addai-Robinson as Queen Regent Míriel
- Robert Aramayo as Elrond
- Owain Arthur as Prince Durin IV
- Maxim Baldry as Isildur
- Nazanin Boniadi as Bronwyn
- Morfydd Clark as Galadriel
- Ismael Cruz Córdova as Arondir
- Charles Edwards as Celebrimbor
- Trystan Gravelle as Pharazôn
- Sir Lenny Henry as Sadoc Burrows
- Ema Horvath as Eärien
- Markella Kavenagh as Elanor ‘Nori’ Brandyfoot
- Joseph Mawle as TBA
- Peter Mullan as King Durin III
- Sophia Nomvete as Princess Disa
- Lloyd Owen as Elendil
- Megan Richards as Poppy Proudfellow
- Dylan Smith as Largo Brandyfoot
- Charlie Vickers as Halbrand
- Leon Wadham as Kemen
- Benjamin Walker as High King Gil-galad
- Daniel Weyman as The Stranger
- Sara Zwangobani as Marigold Brandyfoot
Where to Watch The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit Movies
Both the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies are available to stream on both Amazon Prime Video and HBO Max, though the Extended Editions of all three Lord of the Rings movies are only available with an HBO Max subscription. Follow the links below to get started with the first films in each trilogy:
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring – Extended Edition
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
New to the series? Check out our handy guide on how to watch The Lord of the Rings in order.
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