All things have a beginning of sorts. For many, the introduction to the world built by J.R.R. Tolkien came with the critically acclaimed Lord of the Rings trilogy directed by Peter Jackson in the early 2000s. Others were lucky enough to glean the tales of Middle-earth directly from the pages of Tolkien‘s novels. Whichever way one encounters orcs, elves, wizards, dwarves, and dark lords, one thing is for certain — the genius of Tolkien is instantly recognizable and appreciated. 25 years on since the premiere of Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, this is arguably the best time to be a fan of the franchise.
Several new projects are currently in the pipeline, with Andy Serkis, the actor who plays Sméagol/Gollum in Jackson‘s trilogy, returning to direct The Hunt for Gollum. A Stephen Colbert-penned Lord of the Rings: The Shadow of the Past (which is set in The Fourth Age with Sam’s daughter Elanor) is also in development. To crown it all, the third season of Prime Video‘s mega series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, will premiere later this year on November 11. The Prime Video series is set in the Second Age of Middle-earth and the events which preceded the War of the Ring in the original trilogy. The Dark Lord Sauron (Charlie Vickers) is building his legend and is poised to craft the One Ring. However, it seems there are even more stories to tell.
The relationship between Jackson and New Line Cinema/Warner Bros. has been an incredibly lucrative one with The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogies. There is also the animated picture, The War of the Rohirrim, which premiered in December 2024. The projects predominantly adapted stories from the Third Age of Middle-earth according to Tolkien‘s writings. Now, according to Jackson, we might be getting closer to an entirely new territory: The First Age of Middle-earth. Speaking in an interview with Deadline at the Cannes Film Festival, Jackson revealed that the Tolkien Estate is warming up to the idea of potentially granting film rights to previously restricted material like The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales, in view of mining those writings and turning them into movies.
What Happens in the First Age of Middle-earth?
Prime Video‘s Rings of Power, in its very first episode, and in bits throughout the first season, teases a little bit from The First Age. For starters, Sauron was not the first Dark Lord; that title first belonged to Melkor. One of the Ainur, Melkor, (who would later be known as Morgoth) was one of the divine spirits called the Ainur, created by the god-like figure Eru Ilúvatar, in Tolkien‘s pre-creation story. Melkor and some Ainur would then choose to enter Arda (the fictional world where Middle-earth is found), and are known as the Valar.
Melkor captures some of the Elves — creatures created by the Valar — in order to breed Orcs, Trolls, and the other villains of The Lord of the Rings. The conflict between Melkor (aka Morgoth), the Valar, and the Elves is known as the “War of Wrath” and would rage throughout the First Age. Ultimately, Morgoth is eventually captured and defeated, cursed and bound by the Valar. His second-in-command, Sauron, takes on his role as the Dark Lord and perpetuates the breeding of evil creatures. More details about the First Age are included within Tolkien’s The Book of Lost Tales and The Children of Húrin.
All episodes of the first two seasons of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power are streaming on Prime Video. Season 3 premieres November 11, 2026.
via Collider