The TV adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s book franchise premieres Sept. 2 on Prime Video.
Nearly 20 years after the Lord of the Rings trilogy debuted in theaters, the franchise is back with the Prime Video prequel The Rings of Power. During the second day of the San Diego Comic-Con 2022, the creative team and massive ensemble cast took the stage in front of nearly 7,000 fans in Hall H for their panel -- hosted by superfan Stephen Colbert -- to tease what’s to come from the newest installment in J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic saga.
Additionally, fans were treated to an epic, new extended trailer for season 1, which was led by showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, and stars Morfydd Clark, Charles Edwards, Rob Aramayo, Ben Walker, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Charlie Vickers, Nazanin Boniadi, Tyroe Muhafindin, Daniel Weyman, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Trystan Gravelle, Maxin Baldry, Ema Horvath, Lloyd Owen, Leon Wadham, Markella Kavenagh, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Sara Zwangobani, Sophia Nomvete and Owain Arthur.
McKay shared that it's been a four-and-a-half-year process to bring this show to fans' screens, which included working with Tolkien scholars to create the series' original characters. This new installment -- which the EPs teased as a "50-hour story," which could mean five potential seasons -- is about "reintroducing this world, and the return of evil... We wanted to find a huge Tolkien-ien mega epic."
During the panel, the cast members and creative team talked about joining the franchise and expanding the on-screen world of Lord of the Rings with the new series adapted from the appendices of the original books.
"It’s a human story," Payne shared of the new saga. "How far in the darkness would you go to protect the ones you love?"
Arthur, who plays Prince Durin IV, in the series, noted that his character has an "unlikely friendship" with Elrond (played by Robert Aramayo in the upcoming series, and Hugo Weaving in the earlier films), as a dwarf and an elf, respectively. He also shared that his personal journey during filming included three hours in the makeup chair each day to complete his transformation, and "45 minutes to take it all off."
And there's more than friendship between Bronwyn (Boniadi), a human healer, and Arondir (Cruz Córdova), a Silvan Elf, who have a "forbidden love," the actors shared.
Meanwhile, Nomvete will play Princess Disa, the first female dwarf to be depicted onscreen in a Tolkien adaptation. The English actress told the Comic-Con crowd that she auditioned for Rings of Power two days before giving birth to her daughter, landed the role when she was five days old, and was on set by the time she was eight weeks. The costuming team adjusted her wardrobe so she could nurse in between scenes: "That is the power of a female dwarf."
There's power in moderating too, as Colbert closed out the panel by securing a promise from the EPs that he would have a role in Rings of Power in the future!
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premieres Sept. 2 on Prime Video.
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