Represented on stage by the boisterous pair of Owain Arthur (Prince Durin IV) and Sophia Nomvete (Disa), the two impressed on the audience that their world is filled with laughter and song. That sort of shape-shifting is indicative of Sauron, but also others in his order of being, which include the Wizards who later come to Middle-earth and, oddly enough, the Balrogs – one of which is also glimpsed in the new trailer.īut one thing the creators were more willing to share was a look at the Dwarves in their time of ascendance. Initially, his eyes seem to be all black, but once he touches her arm, they take on a more human appearance.
A clip played shortly afterward focused on The Stranger as he seemingly falls to Earth and meets Nori Brandyfoot ( Markella Kavenagh).
The character, despite appearing in a new character poster during the panel, is still wrapped in mystery, and the actor did everything he could to evade Colbert’s attempts to learn the Stranger’s true identity. That predator could take the form of Daniel Weyman’s Stranger. What he sees as a creative invalidity makes him susceptible to predators.”
“He wants to recreate Valinor in Middle-earth. “We meet him in a place of creative flux,” Edwards said. For Charles Edwards, who plays Elf craftsmen Celebrimbor, a question about his character’s culpability in the creation of the Rings offered a chance for some insight. Some, like asking Ismael Cruz Córdova if his Silvan Elf was also Avari (a group of Elves who remained in Middle-earth after being summoned to Valinor), proved to be a little too much of a deep-dive.
To represent them, 21 members of the series cast appeared on stage to answer Colbert’s questions. While the return of that evil remains somewhat secretive – although we’re convinced that was Sauron blowing that leaf into the darkness in the new trailer – the world the show will establish is populated with Elves, Men, Harfoots, Dwarves, and Orcs of nearly every stripe and size. The destruction of an island populated by advanced Men is one of the great tragedies in the author’s legendarium and resonates down to even Aragorn’s coronation in The Return of the King novel and film.īut both of those events are seemingly in the series’ future, as both showrunners stated the mission statement of the first season is, as McKay put it, “reintroducing this world and the return of evil.” McKay said his is when “Sauron has forged the One Ring in Orodruin, puts it on his finger, and evokes the ring poem… and the Elves instantly perceive they’ve been had.” Payne added his is the whole sweep of Númenor’s downfall. That story struck us as one that could live up to the epic canvas.”Ĭolbert asked what their favorite canonical moment from the era might be. “It’s the rise and fall of Tolkien’s Atlantis. “We felt the Second Age is so awesome,” Payne said. Indeed, they pitched the Second Age of Middle-earth setting and, as McKay put it, “Amazon was crazy enough to let us.” Showing their pedigree seemed essential to them, as McKay also admitted “We’ve never been on stage before and we’re scared s–tless.” But their worries proved unfounded with the audience quite receptive to the pair’s rapport with Colbert and their own enthusiasm for the show.
“Tolkien speaks the language of the soul,” he added. Payne recited a poem entirely in an Elvish language while McKay admitted he first read The Hobbit in fifth grade, “reading through” to The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and the incomplete tales Tolkien’s son published after the author’s death in the late 1970s. Seemingly centering on Galadriel ( Morfydd Clark) and her struggle against the Enemy still lurking in the shadows, it also spoke to the grandeur Second Age Middle-earth will provide to viewers.īut before the new preview, Payne and McKay took the opportunity to prove their credentials as Tolkien fans. Alongside showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay and executive producer Lindsey Weber, he also revealed the latest teaser (see above) for the series. In a surprise move - at least for those in attendance – noted Middle-earth fan Stephen Colbert hosted a 9o-minute introduction to Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power for a crowd of eager fans.