The trailer captures in spirit Peter Jackson’s vision of Middle-earth and of other Tolkien artists. I was caught up by it and am curious to see more, but it left me, and probably most viewers, with more questions than answers.
Why would he say this? It means not only literally put down your sword, but give up the fight. He’s asking her to give up everything she has stood for. To give up on what she has so long fought for. Even after Lothlórien is well established, Galadriel never gives up fighting evil in Middle-earth. If I were her, I’d be pretty angry at him for saying this. Could this be a hint of a thread of conflict that will run between the two of them throughout the show?
Galadriel is believable as a younger version of herself who seems capable as one of the Elves who lead the Noldor across the Grinding Ice. Is that a map she is holding? If this is the Helcaraxë, I doubt a map would exist. If she is in the Northern Waste which has been mentioned as a featured location, I wonder what brings her there. It would be interesting to learn more about the Forodwaith, and it opens up the opportunity for dragons who also lived there.
What is Elrond referrring to when he says, “It is over?” Perhaps this scene is taking place after Númenor falls, and Elrond thinks Sauron (and evil) is gone. Or maybe he is talking about Galadriel’s dispute with the heirs of Fëanor because all the Silmaril’s have left Middle-earth.
Galadriel says, “The enemy is still out there. The question now is where.” The trailer then cuts to a city on a river. I wondered if it was Rómenna because Sauron is now on Númenor. Or Ost-in-Edhil in Eregion where Sauron as Annatar, “Lord of Gifts”, is hanging out with Celebrimbor showing him how to make rings of power. My immediate thought was that the location looked like Middle-earth rather than Númenor. I even hoped for a moment it might be Osgiliath which straddled the Anduin River, though it was not at the confluence of two rivers like this appears to be, unless it is a curve in the river. Osgiliath had a great stone bridge, and there is a domed building in this city that could be the Dome of Stars. I doubt it is Osgiliath, but one can hope we will get to see the founding of Gondor and Annúminas.
When Galadriel says she has seen things Elrond has not, we are shown an image that looks like the world is on fire. I first thought this might be the burning of the Teleri ships at Losgar, but because of the tower, I think not. Could it be the destruction of Thangorodrim in the War of Wrath at the end of the First Age? The description in the Silmarillion of the battle says: “all the north was aflame with war” and “…Orcs perished like straw in a great fire, or were swept like shrivelled leaves before a burning wind.” This gives credence to the bodies floating in the air, though they look rather like Elves than Orcs. In that battle, Eärendil slew the mighty dragon Ancalagon the Black, and “cast him from the sky; and he fell upon the towers of Thangorodrim, and they were broken in his ruin.” This would account for the broken tower. Perhaps, but perhaps not. TORn staffer Demosthenes has a more comprehensive post about this scene to come.
Preparing for disaster
In this shot where a huge stone figure reaches out its hand, I wonder if the harbor is Rómenna where the ships of the Faithful are prepared for departure as Amandil, Elendil’s father, instructed. The image depicts nine large ships at anchor. Elendil landed in the north of Middle-earth with four ships. Isildur with three and Anárion with two, ended up in the south at the Mouths of Anduin.
The frontal view of the ship sailing through the gates has the sun symbol on the sails, the same as Elendil’s armor. The ship is a very intriguing design with two large curved and ribbed sails sticking out from the mast and smaller sails in the middle. The ships in the harbor have furled (wrapped up) sails that stick out perpendicular from the boat, the same way the sails on the hero ship would likely be stowed. Later in the trailer we see Isildur on a ship, but is hard to tell if the sails are set the same, though the masts seem to be positioned differently.
Time Compression
There has been speculation that the meteor man could be Sauron because the lantern on the left is reminiscent of the Eye of Sauron. But in Akallabêth, it says Sauron’s spirit came back to Middle-earth “as a shadow and a black wind over the sea” not as a flaming meteor. I am still leaning towards this being an Istari, possibly even Gandalf. Now that we can see the man more clearly, he has similar physicality, hair, mustache, and beard as Gandalf. I know Gandalf is not supposed to come to Middle-earth until the third age, but with time compression, who knows?
Tar-Míriel
Speaking of time compression, one thing that is bothering me is that when the Rings of Power were forged, Tar-Telperiën was the Queen of Númenor, not Tar-Míriel, who we see in the trailer. The Rings of Power are forged in the year 1600 of the 2nd Age, and the downfall of Númenor is in 3319 of the same age. Given the title of the show, it seems that the forging of the rings would be featured. So either the compression is rather severe, or perhaps flashbacks are used extensively. There is a scene of Ar-Pharazôn stirring up a crowd in front of either the King’s Court or the tower where Morgoth was worshipped. It surprises me that the show would already be in his time frame since Ar-Pharazôn’s reign is so close to the fall of Númenor, which seems like a conclusion and not an opening to a series that is supposed to have five seasons.
Another clue the show-runners are not sticking strictly to canon is the character Eärien, sister of Isildur, who does not exist in Tolkien’s work. Elendil had only two children: Isildur and Anárion. I was looking forward to meeting Anárion who we know so little about and who dies in the siege of Barad-dûr. I hope he has not been cut completely.
Durins III & IV
Durin III
I’m curious what Durin III means when he says, “I am sorry but their time has come.” Is he talking about Durin IV and Disa? Is he telling someone that his reign is over, and that his heirs will be taking the throne? The trailer cuts to Durin IV breaking the rock right after he says this. We later see Durin IV holding a piece of what is most likely mithril (so exciting!) saying that it could be the beginning of new era. Is Durin III stepping aside because his son has discovered the wealth of the Dwarves’ future? Then why does he say he’s sorry? Maybe instead he is implying that Elves will once again have more power than Dwarves in Middle-earth. After the war between Sauron and the Elves begins, Khazad-dûm is closed, and its population dwindles, and the Dwarves became a wandering folk while Elves become established in Rivendell and Lórien.
Arondir
What is Arondir’s role in the story? Why is Arondir’s costume so different than the other Elves we have seen? In the trailer released in Brazil earlier this month, I noticed Elrond’s and Arondir’s brooches are very similar, both open silver circles but the heads of the fastener pins are different. Is this style a trend? Or does it mean that Arondir is somehow closely connected to Elrond? In his army? A scout for him?
Who is in the pit with Arondir? The scene reminds me of when Sauron cast Beren and Finrod Felagund into the pits of Tol-in-Gaurhoth, and the wolves came and killed their companions one-by-one (Silmarillion, Of Beren and Lúthien). Perhaps this scene takes place after the One Ring is revealed, and the second person in the pit is Celebrimbor who was captured by Sauron and tortured to disclose the locations of the lesser rings. Throwing him into a pit with wargs to extract a confession would fit the dark lord’s style.
The Horse Warriors
We see Galadriel leading a host of horse warriors with Isildur(?) riding beside her. I wonder if they are in Middle-earth during the War of the Elves and Sauron. No major battles are written about that take place on Númenor, but these riders are wearing the scale mail of that culture. [Edit: “The Tale of Years” in Appendix B of “The Lord of the Rings” says in 3175 there is civil war in Númenor, but nowhere is Galadriel mentioned as leading an armed force there.] Possibly they are Isildur’s men that sailed with him, or maybe Númenórian’s who had already settled in Middle-earth.
Númenóreans are not widely known for their horsemanship, but horses were their main mode of transportation while on the island. They had a deep love for and connection with the animals and could communicate with them from afar by whistling or even by thought, much as we see Gandalf doing with Shadowfax.
I have been hoping to see the steel bows of the Dúnedain, but these riders have spears.
“In later days, in the wars upon Middle-earth, it was the bows of the Númenóreans that were most greatly feared. ‘The Men of the Sea,’ it was said, ‘send before them a great cloud, as a rain turned to serpents, or a black hail tipped with steel;’ and in those days the great cohorts of the King’s Archers used bows made of hollow steel, with black-feathered arrows…”
– Unfinished Tales, Part 2, Ch 1, A Description of the Island of Númenor
The Harfoots
I like that the Harfoots are portrayed as wanderers. As distant ancestors of Bilbo and Frodo, this explains why the two Shirelings are predisposed to going on adventures. The Harfoots’ role in these tales is not canon but being invented from whole cloth, as they say, yet I am happy they are included and feel the story will be enriched.
There is a lot to unpack with the trailer, but it is definitely intriguing. Looking forward to getting answers once the show airs on Amazon Prime Video.
UPDATE: The latest batch of tickets have now been claimed, and those who received them have been emailed. Should any more happen to become available, we’ll let you know here on the homepage!
Earlier this week, we brought you our round up of all the Middle-earth related happenings you can expect at San Diego Comic-con this year; and we revealed that we are co-hosting a party on Friday 22nd July – open to all; you don’t have to have a SDCC badge to attend.
This is a Prime Video event which they have invited TORn to host with them. The Eventbrite for this private gathering launched on Wednesday – and as we were about to post about it here, the tickets were already gone, in under five minutes! We were stunned but excited – it’s great to know that the fandom is alive and well!
Whilst we’ve had lots of messages from folks who are thrilled to be going, we know that many people were disappointed to miss out in the flurry to grab tickets. So we are very happy to let you know we were able to get hold of some more tickets for this exclusive event! (Thanks, Prime Video!)
To be in with a chance to claim one of these tickets, simply fill in the form at this link. You’ll need to give first and last name (as shown on ID you’ll bring to gain access to the party), and an email address. You’ll also have the option to fill in details for ONE other person.
The form will be open for a limited time, from 11am ET this morning. Once it closes, we will then pick at random from all the sign ups received, and add those folks to the Eventbrite. If you receive a confirmation email from Eventbrite, you’ll know you were one of the lucky ones!
Please note – there is no wait list for this event. ONLY people confirmed via Eventbrite will be admitted (with the appropriate ID and Covid information – see the Eventbrite for details on that). So please don’t be the half of the Shire who show up anyway; sadly, we won’t be able to let you in.
Anyone who signed up via the Eventbrite on Wednesday who used the same name for more than one ticket, please note – as per the information on the event, and in the emails sent out, those duplicates in the same name have been deleted. Each ticket must be in a different name! So, check carefully that you have the Eventbrite tickets you think you have! And if you’re signing up via this form today, you’re only on the party list if you later receive an Eventbrite confirmation email.
We wish we could hold a party of special magnificence for all of fandom! But we’re honoured that Prime Video have allowed us to join them at this event, and we can’t wait to see those of you who do get to join us there. Click here to be in with a chance to be added to that list!
The newly released teaser trailer for Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power dropped on July 14 and sent ripples of excitement throughout Tolkien fandom, including through the ranks of TORn staff. Here below is a presentation of spur of the moment reactions; there will be another post soon that delves deep into some of the lore being presented in this teaser trailer.
But first, if this two and a half minutes is a ‘Teaser Trailer’ in Amazon’s estimation, we can’t wait to see what they consider a full Trailer! Check out our post from Thursday morning about the teaser trailer; and not to be lost in all the flash and bang from the teaser trailer, take a moment to read the official Amazon Press Release at the bottom of the post, and note that when the show debuts on September 2, it will be an 8-part series. It’s still not clear if the episodes will drop all at once or one episode a week. Hopefully we’ll find out that answer during Amazon’s panel at San Diego Comic-con next week, so keep an eye out for our reports from the panel and exhibit hall floor throughout the week.
The mighty marketing power of Amazon begins to reveal itself in DTSD’s Gaslamp District. I can’t wait to see those shuttles! Keep your eyes on TORn for daily reports from this field-of-fandom extravaganza. Panels, parties, and our first booth in a decade – OH MY!!
Courtesy of LadyNico and the UK SDCC Attendees group
EW has shared an exclusive look at The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, featuring the characters Kemen, Miriel, Pharazon, Elendil, Eärien and Isildur.
These six characters were all featured in the posters of hands that were released a few weeks ago.
ElendilPharazonEarienMirielIsildurKemen
The EW article discusses the upcoming series with show runners, J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay and what was involved with bringing Númenor to life and how they hope to please the legion of Tolkien fans.
That devoted fandom is why Payne and McKay pondered every tiny detail on The Rings of Power — right down to each stone in Númenor. “It was one place that we were just laser-focused on saying, ‘We need to get this right,'” Payne explains. “It’s never been seen before. People have some ideas of what elves look like or what dwarves look like and what those kingdoms might look like. But Númenor was, in some ways, a blank canvas.”
(Coggan, 2022)
EW image of Ema Horvath as Earien
Director, Wayne Che Yip, describes walking onto the set of Númenor, stating that it was “just breathtaking”. How every week they were filming on this set he would discover something new, some detail he hadn’t seen before.
We are introduced to Elendil’s daughter, Eärien, who is played by Ema Horvath and Pharazon’s son, Kemen, played by Leon Wadham. Both are new characters, so it will be interesting to see how their stories unfold.
Further in the EW article Payne shares some personal insights into his own reactions to their portrayal of Middle-earth and how the reaction of some of the fans at a recent viewing affected him.
“If people come out of this feeling like they’ve gone to Middle-earth, that’s such a special thing,” Payne adds. “Middle-earth fills us with hope, and it inspires us. There’s a reason why people reach to Middle-earth when they’re going through hard times.”
(Coggan, 2022)
Amazon recently screened about 20 minutes of the show for a group of Tolkien superfans. As Payne and McKay hid in the back, they overheard one audience member say that the show “felt like Middle-earth.” “As he said that, I was surprised by my own reaction,” Payne says, laughing. “I spontaneously burst into tears. I was like, ‘That’s all I wanted to have happen!'”
SDCC is back! TheOneRing.net celebrates the past, present & future of LOTR with a look back at the Oscar-winning The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and a look forward to the upcoming The Rings of Power from Prime Video. Here are all the panels, booths and events for Middle-earth fans going to SDCC 2022:
TheOneRing.net official Booth #1220
Panel 1 – TORn Updates on everything LOTR, Thursday 10:30am Room 6BCF
Hall H The Rings of Power, Friday 10:30am
TORn and Prime Video’s Middle-earth Moot, Friday 5pm
Panel 2 – Second Age Lore, Sunday 1:30pm Room 6A
Exclusive LOTR merch all weekend
All SDCC badges are branded RINGS OF POWER. pic from SDCCblog.com
The Rings of Power off-site experience? – no confirmation of a LOTR experience, but there are persistent rumors. Be on the lookout for more news!
Meet Jed Brophy all weekend at TheOneRing.net booth 1220!
Excited to have the multi-talented actor in LOTR & Hobbit, direct from New Zealand for signings and greetings.
Thursday
10:30am, Room 6BCF – Huge all-encompassing LORD OF THE RINGS panel will cover the 20th Anniversary Celebrations of the New Line films, their upcoming “The War of the Rohirrim,” Amazon Prime’s “The Rings of Power” TV show, new video games focused on Gollum & Dwarves, and new books from the Tolkien Estate. There are some very special exclusive things in store that attendees will not want to miss. Add this panel to your SDCC Official App schedule here.
That Same Afternoon – You’ll want to queue up for Hall H wristbands on Thursday to ensure entry to the next morning’s THE RINGS OF POWER panel. Here’s a good post at SDCC Blog on how Hall H wristbands work.
Friday
10:30am – 12noon, room Hall H – Prime Video presents THE RINGS OF POWER and the very first look at the billion-dollar TV series. Nearly 20 people are confirmed for the panel, including the secretive show runners, J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay. A new exclusive trailer is nearly guaranteed, but would they dare show the FIRST full episode to fans, as The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance did a few years ago?
5pm – 8:30pm – Party Time! TheOneRing.net and Prime Video invite you to our Middle-earth Moot! This extraordinary party includes Cosplay contest with exclusive giveaways, themed decorations from The Rings of Power, with drinks and food provided. Exclusive TROP swag and other surprises are in store. Open to the public, no SDCC badge required, all ages, Cosplay encouraged (get creative!), space strictly limited! Details & sign up for your free ticket SOON.
Saturday
TheOneRing.net official Booth #1220 – Trivia time EVERY HOUR! Courtesy of Warner Home Video, we have copies to give away of the epic 31-disc 4K box set Middle-earth Ultimate Edition, as well as amazing LOTR fabrics from OSCHA. Pick up a Con-exclusive shirt or just come and chat about what we all saw in Hall H.
Sunday
1:30pm, room 6A – Join an all-star panel of Tolkien scholars and experts for a deep dive into the lore of LOTR and the Second Age. What did Tolkien actually write? What are the threads that Amazon can pull on? Learn the true intent of Tolkien’s lore expansion, and be informed enough to win all the internet debates coming soon. Be sure to add this panel to your SDCC Official App schedule here.
SDCC Exclusive Merch
We are excited to have incredible new T-shirts and pins available only at TheOneRing.net Booth #1220, not online, from some of our favorite artists!
Peabody Award-winning artist, author and director Molly Ostertag (@HobbitGay) designed BAG END SOCIAL CLUB which incorporates a direct quotation from Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring.
We also have more fun items including books from “Middle-earth: Script to Screen” co-author Kellie Rice, art from Eisner-nominated (2022) comic artist team Kempo Cornelius & Chris Northrop, and items from The Nerd of the Rings and Discord. Come by the booth #1220 to discover it all!
Get all your officially-licensed LOTR merch at Booth #1220 including Shire Post coins & wax seals & more!
Remember, TORN is not-for-profit and we are just trying to pay off the very expensive booth!
Other panels of interest to LOTR fans
Andy Serkis new comic panel, Thursday 5pm Room 32AB (he might be zooming in)
Billy & Dom’s Moriarty podcast panel, Thursday 12:15pm Room Indigo (in person, covid allowing)
Prime Video offsite – across the rail tracks from Hall A, Prime Video usually has a big free outdoor event space.
Dungeons & Dragons Tavern – corner of Sixth Avenue and Island Avenue
The Rings of Power press events – for those fans covering SDCC as Press, Prime Video is running a tight ship and things are invite-only for their press days. TheOneRing.net Middle-earth Moot party on Friday is a private fan event: there shall be no Press access or video cameras allowed! You shall not pass!
Win the Ultimate Collection at TheOneRing.net booth 1202
Our pals at WBHE are hooking you up with the ultimate 4K Boxed set of the COMPLETE Peter Jackson Middle-earth films: both LOTR and The Hobbit (technically two trilogies so does that make this a Hexology?!) There are multiple opportunities to win one through our trivia challenges all weekend long at Booth #1220.
Follow TheOneRing.net on our official Twitter & Instagram to keep up with all the Comic-Con excitement, and join our official partnered Discord to catch ALL the things as they break.
