Amazon’s Lord of the Rings show release date has been revealed as September 2nd, 2022. The production seems to have taken ages over in New Zealand. Although we think they are also filming Season 2 back to back. However perhaps even more intriguing and exciting than having the show dated is the image that was released. Check it out.
On September 2, 2022, a new journey begins. pic.twitter.com/9tnR7WqDoA
— The Lord of the Rings on Prime (@TheRingsofPower) August 2, 2021
First Age Imagery
The Image shown here to an untrained eye just looks like some scene from Middle-earth. However, the clues in this image tease something no fan was expecting to see. When Amazon announced they were making a Lord of the Rings TV show, the hype was that they had got access to Tolkien’s Second Age. Although details are scarce, we do know that this is still the plan, but the image above does not match.
The Image shown above, is 100% an image of Valinor, sometimes called the Undying Lands in Tolkien’s mythology. However there is even more surprising information within the image. The reason we can tell 100% this is Valinor is because of where the light is coming from in this image. If you look closely you will see that’s not the Sun. The light is actually coming from a couple of tree, specifically the famous two trees of Valinor. This allows us to date this image, and the date we get is very early on the the First Age. This is a period no fans thought Amazon would be allowed to cover.
The Two Trees, called Telperion and Laurelin respectively were destroyed by the schemes of Melkor, the original and worst Dark Lord who was named Morgoth after this point. Morgoth enabled an ancient Spider creature called Ungoliant to consume the light from the Trees. This initially left Arda (Earth) in darkness, until the Sun and Moon were created. However the light of the Trees, remained captured for all time within the Silmaril. The Silmaril are three jewels created by the Elven smith Feanor. Morgoth stole these jewels and the resulting reaction from Feanor was the catalyst for all the heroics and tragedy of that First Age. This story is detailed by Tolkien in The Silmarillion.
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That means that Amazon has access to film either flashbacks, or perhaps a prologue set during the First Age which can give some of that story to audiences. Given the characters we know to be appearing initially, the main show is definitely set in the Second Age. The island of Numenor was only created as a gift to Men for helping to resist Morgoth in the First Age. Also, Men did not even exist in the time that those two tress existed. Men did not appear in Middle-earth until after the trees had been destroyed, so Mankind only ever existed under the Sun and Moon.
This really is incredibly unexpected and Amazon have hyped this show beyond belief amongst the fan base who understand the context of the image. Fans are now even speculating that if Amazon’s show is successful, the Tolkien Estate may allow the First Age stories to be filmed as well. Though I’m not so sure this will ever happen personally, we will see.
We have Amazon’s Lord of the Rings show release date. However what do you think of the image above and what it means now you understand the importance of it? As always, leave any thoughts below.