The Lord of the Rings series at Amazon officially has a premiere date in place. The highly-anticipated epic fantasy series will debut on Amazon Prime Video on September 2, 2022, with subsequent new episodes dropping weekly. The filming on the first season of the show was completed on August 2 in New Zealand. Along with the premiere date, Amazon also released the first official image from the series.

Not much is known about the plot of the new series but it is said to be set during the so-called Second Age, thousands of years prior to the events of both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings written by author JRR Tolkien. The series boasts of an ensemble cast, with some old and some new members as they confront the 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.

On September 2, 2022, a new journey begins. pic.twitter.com/9tnR7WqDoA

— The Lord of the Rings on Prime (@LOTRonPrime) August 2, 2021

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The series cast includes Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Maxim Baldry, Ian Blackburn, Kip Chapman, Anthony Crum, Maxine Cunliffe, Trystan Gravelle, Sir Lenny Henry, Thusitha Jayasundera, Fabian McCallum, Simon Merrells, Geoff Morrell, Peter Mullan, Lloyd Owen, Augustus Prew, Peter Tait, Alex Tarrant, Leon Wadham, Benjamin Walker, Sara Zwangobani, Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Nazanin Boniadi, Tom Budge, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Ema Horvath, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Charlie Vickers, and Daniel Weyman.The series, which is estimated to already cost $465 million for its first season alone, clocks in with an ensemble cast of 39.

Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios said, “The journey begins September 2, 2022 with the premiere of our original ‘The Lord of the Rings’ series on Prime Video. I can’t express enough just how excited we all are to take our global audience on a new and epic journey through Middle-earth! Our talented producers, cast, creative, and production teams have worked tirelessly in New Zealand to bring this untold and awe-inspiring vision to life.”

We’re just as excited! Here’s to visiting places never before seen and old kingdoms at the height of their glory. https://t.co/uIMHpBHPQ1

— The Lord of the Rings on Prime (@LOTRonPrime) January 14, 2021

J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay serve as showrunners on the series based on Tolkien’s iconic fantasy novels. J.A. Bayona is set to direct the first two episodes and will executive produce, along with his producing partner Belén Atienza, Justin Doble, Jason Cahill, Gennifer Hutchison, Bruce Richmond, and Sharon Tal Yguado, co-executive producer and director Wayne Che Yip, director Charlotte Brändström, and producer Christopher Newman.

(Source: Twitter/Variety/Amazon)