‘Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ Season 5 Will Be the Final Season of the Amazon Series
J.R.R. Tolkien fans are excited to see how Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power expands the author’s fantasy world. And luckily, as the Amazon Prime Video show airs, viewers won’t have to worry about renewals and cancellations.
According to the showrunners, the series is mapped out to the end. And the streamer has already put in an order for five full seasons.
What is ‘Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ about?
Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies — The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King — are adaptations of Tolkein’s literary trilogy. They follow the adventures of the Fellowship of the Ring. The unlikely band of heroes heads out on a mission to destroy Sauron and his cursed Ring of Power.
In his lifetime, Tolkien wrote four books set in this fictional world. This includes The Hobbit, which Jackson adapted for a second film trilogy. All four books take place in the Third Age of Middle-earth, thousands of years after Sauron created the One Ring.
Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power serves as a prequel to Tolkien’s stories. Set in the Second Age, it follows the events that led to the creation of the One Ring.
The Prime Video series isn’t based on one specific book. But it may feature characters and storylines from Tolkein’s posthumous releases, including The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales.
“It was like Tolkien put some stars in the sky and let us make out the constellations,” showrunner JD Payne told Empire. “In his letters [particularly in one to his publisher], Tolkien talked about wanting to leave behind a mythology that ‘left scope for other minds and hands, wielding the tools of paint, music, and drama.'”
“We’re doing what Tolkien wanted,” Payne added. “As long as we felt like every invention of ours was true to his essence, we knew we were on the right track.”
‘Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power’ will be 5 seasons long
Unlike most series, renewed or canceled based on viewership and ratings, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power received a complete, five-season order. As revealed by Payne in his chat with Empire, the showrunners know exactly where the series will go and how it will end.
“We even know what our final shot of the last episode is going to be,” Payne said. “The rights that Amazon bought were for a 50-hour show.”
“They knew from the beginning that was the size of the canvas – this was a big story with a clear beginning, middle, and end,” he continued. “There are things in the first season that don’t pay off until Season 5.”
It’s one of the most expensive TV shows ever made
Amazon is pulling out all the stops for Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Not only is the show getting a full five seasons, but it also has a massive budget.
As detailed by The Hollywood Reporter, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 1 alone had a budget of $465 million. To put that in perspective, the most expensive film ever made — Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides — cost $379 million to make.
With a total of five seasons, the show’s budget will likely surpass $1 billion.
Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premieres on Prime Video on September 2.
