“The Lord of the Rings” is a longtime beloved franchise. From the original books written by J.R.R. Tolkien and award-winning movie adaptations to the multiple video game titles and themed stationary, there have always been more outlets for this popular franchise.

“The Lord of the Rings” has been a pillar in pop culture for decades now, and it seems the franchise will continue to grow with its very first television series coming to Amazon Prime. The untitled series was first announced in November 2017 after Amazon Prime beat Netflix in a bidding war, spending $250 million for the rights to create a TV show based on the popular fantasy series. 

Including the amount spent on acquiring the rights, it is reported Amazon will spend an estimated total of $1 billion on the series as a whole. The Peter Jackson directed series that adapted the original trilogy of novels had a budget of $281 million for all three films, and it grossed $2.92 billion globally. 

To say Amazon has high expectations for this show would be an understatement. This would definitely explain why Amazon has already renewed the show for a second season before production on season one has been completed. Filming for season one began in February 2020, but, like most TV shows and films, production came to a screeching halt in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, though it was reported the filming started back up in September.

Similarly to its silver screen predecessors, the TV series is being shot in the New Zealand countryside where it’s rolling hills and gorgeous views have served as Middle-earth for years. 

Not much is known about the show’s plot, but fans do know the story will take place hundreds, possibly thousands of years before the events of “The Lord of the Rings” and its prequel, “The Hobbit.”

The upcoming show is expected to premiere in 2021.