Amazon's Series 'The Rings of Power' Has a Great Team Behind It — but Is Peter Jackson Involved?
Published Feb. 15 2022, 3:59 p.m. ET
The iconic movie franchise The Lord of the Rings has continuously mesmerized fans with its intricate storylines and in-depth characters. The first film came out in December 2001 and was titled The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Two more movies, The Two Towers and The Return of the King, were released the following two years.
The popularity of the trilogy exploded. Fans love the movies, merch, and more to this day. And the director behind these movies, Peter Jackson, rocketed to fame because of them. For many, he's synonymous with The Lord of the Rings. Now that Amazon Prime is coming out with a series within the LoTR universe called The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, fans are wondering if Jackson is at least somehow involved.
Is Peter Jackson involved in 'The Rings of Power'?
Unfortunately, no. Jackson will have no involvement in The Rings of Power. But the director of the Amazon show, Patrick McKay, has opened up about the pressure there is around the new series. In an interview with Vanity Fair, McKay said that everyone involved in the project is "aware of the massive expectations."
But because McKay and Amazon know what fans expect, there's an impressive team behind The Rings of Power ... and a huge budget. Vanity Fair points out that the show already has a five-season deal. It estimates that this will take well over $1 billion to complete. It also notes that while that's a lot of money to say the least, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos is a huge Lord of the Rings fan, and therefore, the investment may seem justified to him.
The Power of the Rings team is impressive. JD Payne is working alongside McKay as a showrunner and they are being advised by Game of Thrones co-executive producer Bryan Cogman. Filmmaker J.A. Bayona is directing the first two episodes of the show. He's known for directing Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and his career stretches back to the 1990s.
When does 'The Rings of Power' take place?
The Rings of Power is set to take place thousands of years before the Lord of the Rings books by J.R.R. Tolkien take place, including The Hobbit.
In the trailer for The Rings of Power, text across the screen says, "Before the King, Before the Fellowship, Before the Ring, a New Legend Begins This Fall," which only cements how far back in history we're going with this Amazon venture.
You can watch The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Amazon Prime Video on Sept. 2, 2022.