Amazon: The Rings of Power investment “has more than paid off”

The first season of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power premiered earlier this year, and while reception among fans and critics was mixed, the show became the most popular thing Amazon Prime Video had ever produced. And given that Amazon spent some $465 million on the first season alone, it kind of had to be.

Speaking to Deadline, Amazon exec Vernon Sanders said that the company investment in the show “has more than paid off.”

"It’s been a tremendous success for us, it performed incredibly well around the globe. It is by far our biggest scripted series, it is the most acquisitive show that we’ve put out. After we finished releasing episodes, we saw a new surge of people come to the service to start the show."

By the numbers, The Rings of Power broke Amazon’s record for most global viewers on premiere day (25 million) and overall (more than 100 million), for minutes streamed (24 billion) and signups worldwide during the launch window. A record number of adults aged 18-34 tuned in, as did a record number of affluent audiences, with 40% of viewers living in homes with incomes over $100,000, which is a kind of a weird stat to tout but whatever. The show also inspired people to buy J.R.R. Tolkien’s books off Amazon.

Expect a faster pace for The Rings of Power season 2

So now it’s full speed ahead on season 2, which is filming as we speak. “It’s going great,” Sanders said. “Season 1 had so much establishing to do that we now get to have the fun of seeing the story ramp up as Sauron is revealed. And I think audiences can look forward to a show that, while it feels true to itself, feels like the stakes are ever higher and now that the rings are in play, seeing what they can do and seeing how the various factions within the world deal with those implications. I think it’s going to be really compelling.”

"I also think the pace of our story is going to increase in part because the story is demanding that now that everyone’s been established, the stakes are established, that we’re going to watch some characters in some lands go to war."

In addition to a more rapid pace, Sanders also promised more battle scenes. “Yes, I can say you will see bigger battles in season two including some iconic moments from the appendices and the books.”

Game of Thrones star Joseph Mawle leaves The Rings of Power, joins Yellowstone spinoff

The Rings of Power went through a bit of a shakeup a couple weeks back when it was announced that Game of Thrones veteran Joseph Mawle (Benjen Stark), who played the villainous elf Adar, would be leaving the series. Adar will be played by Sam Hazeldine in The Rings of Power season 2.

“Unfortunately it didn’t work out,” Sanders said. “And with a show that had this many series regulars and this many recurring characters, it unfortunately happened. Joseph was tremendous and gave an incredible performance. We’re also excited about our new actor. The character of Adar in Season 2 has some really exciting dynamic things to play so I’m telling them to stay tuned.”

We don’t know exactly why Mawle left The Rings of Power, although Variety reports that he’s landed a new gig on1923, a new spinoff of the tremendously popular show Yellowstone. Mawle will play Captain Shipley, “the captain of a British cargo ship, who has seen a lot during his years at sea.” He’ll be acting alongside the likes of Helen Mirren, Harrison Ford and his old Game of Thrones castmate Jerome Flynn, who played Bronn.

We don’t know when The Rings of Power season 2 will premiere, but sometime late in 2023 or early in 2024 seems like a good bet. And Amazon wants to keep this roll going; Sanders said we can expect some news about season 3 sometime in the new year.

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