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Lord of the Rings series gives first look at Galadriel and Elrond

The Lord of the Rings: the Rings of Power first look shows Galadriel and Elrond in costume Amazon's prequel to the hit fantasy movies

Morfydd Clark in saint Maud, Cate Blanchett as Galadriel in The Lord of the Rings

After much anticipation, Amazon has finally given us a look at The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Several images accompany a feature in Vanity Fair, where we learn about Morfydd Clark’s Galadriel, and the massive production behind the TV series.

The pictures themselves are exciting – there’s one of a younger Galadriel in armour, carrying her sword. Another has her in Elven garb, with Elrond (Robert Aramayo). These versions of the Lord of the Rings characters are millennia younger than Cate Blanchett and Hugo Weaving in Peter Jackson’s fantasy movies. We also get a behind-the-scenes glimpse at a watery effects shot, where Galadriel meets Halbrand (Charlie Vickers), and images of Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi).

A few posed character shots, similar to the posters previously shown, except this time with actual faces, are included for good measure. Patrick McKay, co-showrunner alongside JD Payne, talk about the pressure in honouring the JRR Tolkien’s work in a way that reflects its multitudes. “This is material that is sometimes scary—and sometimes very intense, sometimes quite political, sometimes quite sophisticated—but it’s also heartwarming and life-affirming and optimistic,” McKay says. It’s about friendship and it’s about brotherhood and underdogs overcoming great darkness.”

Before this, we’d just had a couple of vague images that didn’t give much of anything away. This is the first time we’ve seen characters in costume for the blockbuster project, and the level of craftmanship is evident. One shot, with director J.A. Bayona directing two hunters with wings attached, suggests this’ll be quite the spectacle.

As is typical of the internet, some people took umbrage with there being racial diversity among the cast. This is addressed by one of the producers “It felt only natural to us that an adaptation of Tolkien’s work would reflect what the world actually looks like,” Lindsey Weber, executive producer on the Amazon Lord of the Rings series, states. “Tolkien is for everyone. His stories are about his fictional races doing their best work when they leave the isolation of their own cultures and come together.”

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power takes place during the Second Age of Middle-earth, making it a prequel to all the films we’ve seen thus far. Though drawing from Tolkien’s The Silmarillion, this will be largely fresh territory for viewers, making it an intriguing prospect for all.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premieres on Amazon Prime September 2, 2022.