How to watch ‘Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ online
Last updated:
Six movies, 21 Oscars, and 25 years later, we’re heading back to Middle-earth. Watch Amazon’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on Thursday, September 1, 2022.
While legendary filmmaker Peter Jackson will not be helming The Rings of Power, LOTR fans can breathe easy knowing Amazon Studios tapped filmmaker J.A. Bayona (The Orphanage, Penny Dreadful) to direct the first two episodes and executive produce the series alongside showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay. The return to Middle-earth promises to be an avant-garde epic.
Wondering how you can watch The Rings of Power? Here’s your one guide to rule them all.
When will The Rings of Power be released?
LOTR fans can start streaming The Rings of Power at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, September 1, 2022, when the first two episodes will be released in the U.S. Amazon Studios has committed to five seasons for the LOTR series, with season two of the LOTR prequel show already in production.
How to watch The Rings of Power online
The Rings of Power will stream worldwide exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. You will need a Prime Video subscription to watch The Rings of Power. Not yet subscribed? Amazon offers a 30-day free trial for new members.
Prime Video is available in countries across the globe, including the U.S., UK, India, Australia, France, Germany, and Singapore. For more details on how to stream Prime Video in your country, check out our FAQs.
The 8-episode first season of The Rings of Power will follow a weekly release schedule. In other words, LOTR fans have two months of weekly episodes in Middle-earth to look forward to. We’re not saying no to that! Pro tip: Already subscribed to Prime Video? You can now add The Rings of Power to your Prime Video watchlist and be notified of its premiere on Thursday, September 1, 2022 (September 2 in Europe and Asia).
Is The Rings of Power a prequel?
The Rings of Power serves as a prequel to the now iconic Lord of The Rings film trilogy. The prequel show follows the events that lead to the conflict the film trilogy centers on. Set thousands of years before the films, The Rings of Power will cover an epic multi-season story of adventures and conflict, set in Middle-earth, on screen for the first time.
The Rings of Power will feature familiar characters from the LOTR films such as Galadriel, and as teased in the SDCC trailer (above), the fearsome Balrog. Check out our LOTR alignment chart, who do you think will appear in the prequel show?
What is The Rings of Power about?
Like Peter Jackson’s highly acclaimed and revered Lord of The Rings film trilogy, The Rings of Power is based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy novel series “The Lord of the Rings.” Set during the Second Age (or the Age of Númenor), long before The Fellowship of the Ring, Amazon’s LOTR series will focus on the 20 rings of power given to various figures in Middle-earth. The One Ring was a secret during this time. The multi-season epic follows an ensemble of characters as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth.
Who is in The Rings of Power cast?
The Rings of Power assembles an ensemble cast of familiar characters and newcomers. Morfydd Clark (Saint Maud, His Dark Materials), who has fronted much of the publicity push for the series, plays a young Galadriel, whom viewers may recognize as the ethereal “Lady of the woods” of Lothlórien as portrayed by Cate Blanchett in the movie trilogy. Considered one of the greatest Elves in Middle-earth, Galadriel bore Nenya, one of the rings of power.
British actor Maxim Baldry (Years and Years, Doctor Who) plays a young Isildur, another famous character from LOTR lore. The son of the Númenórean leader, Isildur is at the heart of many events against Sauron in the late Second Age.
The massive ensemble cast also includes Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Nazanin Boniadi, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Charles Edwards, Trystan Gravelle, Sir Lenny Henry, Ema Horvath, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Lloyd Owen, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Charlie Vickers, Leon Wadham, Benjamin Walker, Daniel Weyman, and Sara Zwangobani.
Is Sauron in The Rings of Power?
Amazon has slowly been revealing key details about The Rings of Power, and one character has dominated discussions about the show—Sauron.
Fans of LOTR have been speculating about which actor plays Sauron in The Rings of Power, how the character will look, and if the character will appear in the first season. Amazon has so far remained tight-lipped about the iconic villain. However, with the release of The Rings of Power SDCC trailer (above), the show makes its most explicit reference to the character yet—the forging of Sauron’s iconic sword.
While much remains unknown about how exactly Sauron will appear in the series, we know that Sauron can freely shapeshift during the Second Age and the books typically depict him as having a fair appearance. How Sauron looks in the series and who plays the character remains anyone’s guess, but one fan theory has dominated forums. Cutting a pale figure and sowing fire seeds in The Rings of Power SDCC trailer, many believe Anson Boon is Sauron.
Can I use a VPN to watch Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power in another country?
While you can watch Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power by connecting to a VPN server location in a country other than your own, doing so may infringe upon your streaming service’s and ExpressVPN’s terms of use. ExpressVPN is a security and privacy tool, not intended to be used for copyright circumvention. By design, we cannot see or control what you do when connected to our VPN service, so we must insist that you respect the entertainment industry and always honor the terms of use.