Ding Ding! It's nearly time for the battle of Middle-earth vs. Westeros to begin.
All you excited little Hobbits Harfoots will be treated to a double-episode season premiere of 'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' when the series launches on Prime Video this September.
Once the eight-episode series launches, it will then switch to a weekly release each Friday, wrapping up season one on October 14. Here's the timing for you whether you're in the US or UK/Ireland.
The news will be interesting to those paying close attention to TV release dates, as another highly-anticipated prequel series readies itself this coming weekend.
The 'Game of Thrones' prequel 'House of the Dragon' launches on HBO/Sky Atlantic in the next few days, pipping the long-awaited production based on J.R.R. Tolkien's works to the medieval post. However, due to 'HOTD' consisting of 10 episodes and releasing only one episode weekly, 'TROP' will actually now begin and end in the midst of the series based on George R.R. Martin's world. Thankfully, this means that both shows won't release their season endings within the same week, allowing us to have some fantasy breathing space.
Whether this was done intentionally by Prime Video or not, both shows are likely to be pitted against each other no matter what: both are spin-offs from incredibly popular franchises with huge fanbases that likely crossover; both are based on a series of books by acclaimed writers; and both are set in magical realms full of wonder and spectacle (and lots of war).
'The Rings of Power' will be set thousands of years before the events in The Hobbit' take place, and will include Morfydd Clark, Robert Aramayo, Maxim Baldry, Lenny Henry, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Peter Mullan and more in the main cast. Expected to be one of the most expensive TV series ever made, Amazon Studios have already mapped out five seasons of the show.
The battle for medieval TV series of the year has begun - but who will win?
'The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power' will launch on Prime Video on September 2 (or September 1 if you're in the US). 'House of the Dragon' begins on Sky Atlantic/NOW on August 22.
