A second teaser trailer has just been released for the most expensive TV series ever made - Amazon Prime’s highly anticipated The Lord of the Rings : The Rings of Power.
This epic and ambitious version of J.R.R. Tolkien’s fabled Second Age of Middle-earth drops next month - and fans can't wait to see if the storytelling matches its astronomical budget.
In addition to the £209m million Amazon stumped up for the rights alone, the eight-part series cost a staggering £382 million, which at eight instalments makes it a cool £47 million per episode.
Fortunately, we appear to be in safe hands, with the new teaser trailer giving fans a fascinating, glorious-looking initial peek at some of Tolkien's legendary characters from the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor.
Unsurprisingly, reaction so far has been mixed - but that's always the way with book to screen adaptations.
There's the familiar age-old clash of devoted buffs admonishing anything that doesn't strictly follow the original story, while others will enjoy the new series for what it is, not what they want it to be.
Time will tell if The Rings of Power is a band of 24k gold or a worthless bit of costume jewellery.
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What’s it all about?
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power delves into the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history.
This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged and kingdoms rose to glory before falling to ruin.
The Amazon Prime series is set during an embittered time where unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and one of Tolkien's greatest villains threatened to plunge the world into darkness.
Where is it set?
The Rings of Power begins in an era of relative peace, with the series following an ensemble cast of characters - some familiar, some new - as they confront the long-feared resurrection of evil to Middle-earth.
From the darkest, dankest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the striking forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the awe-inspiring island kingdom of Númenor, to the farthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters are reportedly fantastically realised.
Rumours are the show should draw you into the action every bit as much as Peter Jackson's hugely-respected trilogy from the early noughties.
What locations are featured?
We will see a lot of the aforementioned Númenor, as well as the Elven cities of Lindon and Eregion. The show will also feature the dwarven stronghold of Khazad-dûm in all its majesty.
Trailers for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power also features a tease of the shape-shifting Sauron – who in the Second Age was known as Annatar.
The new series boasts an extensive cast, with Morfydd Clark playing Galadriel and Charlie Vickers portraying new character Halbrand.
Elsewhere we have Charles Edwards as Celebrimor and Sophia Nomvete the dwarven Princess Disa, while Owain Arthur will play Prince Durin IV.
Ismael Cruz Córdova will portray silvan elf, Arondir, while Nazanin Boniadi will play Bronwyn, Arondir’s human love interest.
Also included are Robert Aramayo as Elrond, Maxim Baldry as Isildur, Megan Richards and Markella Kavenagh will play harfoots, while Benjamin Walker with portray High King Gil-galad.
*The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power launches globally on Prime Video on September 2.
