How The Rings of Power Showrunners Handled That Massive Global Debut

Prime Video's story of the one ring is making one massive debut. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, Prime Video's highly anticipated series covering the vast backstory from J.R.R. Tolkien’s appendices of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, finally dropped its first two episodes on Thursday as part of its global launch. The series is now available in multiple languages and in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide. The vastness of the debut, which also included one night in theaters thanks to Cinemark on Aug. 31, is daunting. However, at a Television Critics Association’s summer press tour virtual panel in August, the showrunners, J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, explained the secret to having the series connect with vastly different viewers in all parts of the world. "J.D. and I have been working together for 25 years and we really, as writers and storytellers and just as audience members and readers, are always looking for an authentic emotional connection and authentic relationships and complex relationships. We like emotional storytelling, and we don’t shy away from that," McKay said. "And I think when you're telling a story in a world as vast and complex and sometimes political and sometimes poetic as this one, it's really important to keep yourself anchored to a mother and daughter or a couple of friends or a father-son or a husband and wife, as opposed to a Númenórean or a dwarf or an elf. That’s the fun part. But I think in wanting something that is emotionally accessible to many, many people the way Tolkien’s works are." Lord of the Rings Series Team Dismisses Rivalry With Game of Thrones Prequel McKay's words ring true in the show's first episodes, with Rings of Power often showcasing the characters' personal relationships in addition to Galadriel's (Morfydd Clark) ongoing manhunt for Sauron and his ominous sigils. For instance, the series features a forbidden love between Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) and Bronwyn (Nazanin Boniadi), as well as Bronwyn's relationship with her son, Theo (Tyroe Muhafidin). McKay added that the series constantly went back to the "emotional truth" of the moment. "I dare say I hope, if that becomes universal in all those countries—which is a little daunting and scary and humbling to think about—that would be wonderful," he said. Amazon likely shares that hope, as it has a lot riding on the series. The company paid $250 million just for the rights to the Tolkien stories, and the eight-episode first season reportedly comes in around $58 million per episode. Five seasons are expected to cost the studio north of $1 billion. And reports claim the reception to the series will play a role in the future of Prime Video. With so much on the line, Prime Video has gone all out marketing the show, even debuting the first footage at Super Bowl 56 in February. “We had the opportunity to talk about one of the most beloved IPs in the world and we couldn’t think of a better time to introduce that than the biggest pop culture moment,” Ukonwa Ojo, then-CMO of Prime Video and Amazon Studios, told Adweek at the time. Of course, if any series can connect all over the world, Rings of Power just might have the IP to do it with the universal themes in Tolkien's works. Talking at the TCA event about the show premiering in more than 200 countries, co-showrunner Payne explained, "It deals in the common lifeblood of humanity, and so really all 200 countries become one in Middle-Earth."