New Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power trailer is a blast to the past

The newest teaser trailer for Amazon’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power just dropped today, and it’s ominously epic.

“The past is with us all,” and “This could be the beginning of a new era,” are two opposing statements made in the new Rings of Power trailer, but both ring true to this upcoming series.

This new Lord of the Rings spin-off from Amazon has been a subject of fan excitement – and worry – for some time now. And whether or not this trailer amplifies those emotions, one thing is clear: the trailer is epic, if a little ominous.

A lot happens in the Rings of Power trailer, though thankfully it doesn’t give away the whole plot, which leaves the viewer wanting more, as a good trailer should.

What happens in the Rings of Power trailer?

The two-and-a-half-minute trailer, which can be viewed on YouTube, has plenty to dissect and discuss.

It opens on the line: “There was a time, when the world was so young, there had not yet been a sunrise. But even then, there was light.”

Since the world of the Rings of Power is set thousands of years before the events of Tolkien’s books, Middle-earth is a different place, and yet there is a lot to trigger that sense of nostalgia. A melody plays out as beautiful scenes of Middle-earth fly past our eyes, of settings both well-known and new.

The series will appear to cover multiple characters, as one Harfoot hobbit notes: “Elves have forests to protect, dwarves their mines, men their fields of grain, but we Harfoots have each other. We’re safe.”

They are not in fact, safe. Danger is clearly looming on the horizon, as we watch a meteor fly through the sky, mobs with flaming torches, and birds fly away in fear.

One character aware of this danger is the warrior Galadriel, who is told to “put up her sword” after she has “fought long enough.”

But Galadriel knows that something is coming, stating, “The enemy is still out there. The question now is where.” She also repeats, in a fearful tone of voice, “You have not seen what I have seen.” But we have, because the trailer shows us: Sauron is back, and the destruction he creates is horrifying.

According to the trailer, “Darkness will march over the face of the earth,” and this is presented through glimpses of harrowing action: Horses riding into battle, dwarves swinging their axes, and trolls lunging at our heroes.

But, while things seem dire and dark, the trailer does end with a glimmer of nostalgic hope. The last clip shown is that of a group of Hobbits walking across the hills, transporting the viewer back to Peter Jackson’s first trilogy, showing that while this is a new era of the story, the past is still with us all. Just as the trailer states.

What is The Rings of Power about?

The Rings of Power is an adaption of the Tolkien’s extensive notes that published in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, specifically the Second Age.

The Second Age occurs thousands of years before Bilbo or Frodo’s stories, and travels from peaceful times to full-on conflict, from the forging of the rings to the rise of Sauron.

Within Middle-earth, the elves have founded the kingdom of Lindon, and the dwarves are at the height of their power, living in the underground realm of Khazad-dûm. There are humans also dotted about Middle-earth, including in some new locations, that being the never-before-seen island of Númenor, which will play a big part in the show’s growing conflict.

The Rings of Power showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay were adamant in that this show isn’t a prequel or sequel, but its own story. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, McKay explained: “We were not interested in doing a show about the younger version of the same world you knew, where it’s a little bit of a prequel.

“We wanted to go way, way, way back and find a story that could exist on its own two feet. This was one that we felt hadn’t been told on the level and the scale and with the depth that we felt it deserved.”

When and where can I watch The Rings of Power?

The Rings of Power will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on September 2.

And from the looks of things, it’s going to be an epic – and ominous – ride.