Amazon Releases Official Synopsis for 'Lord of the Rings' Series

If a series is to succeed Game of Thrones as the undisputed No. 1 show, put me down for Amazon's upcoming Lord of the Rings series. Like GoT, Lord of the Rings has a strong base of casual and dedicated fans. Amazon Prime Video has the resources and budget to give the show the support HBO gave GoT.

Tuesday, the upcoming Lord of the Rings series released its much-anticipated synopsis:

Middle-earth's return has almost unlimited potential, but the expectations are equally large. The Lord of the Rings book series is the pinnacle of the fantasy genre, and the film series of the same name is the most acclaimed trilogy to date. Yet the Hobbit films were disappointing. Star Wars can get away with average quality. Tolkien’s brand demands prestige.

So far, though, so good. In the synopsis, the "greatest villain" line is a reference to Sauron. His return is the absolute best route for Amazon.

The map, which was released last year, is the other major clue.

The plan is for the show to run over five seasons. While recent trends indicate series are best suited for short runs, I'm optimistic the depth of Tolkien's world can be told over five or six years.

Lord of the Rings on Amazon is expected to debut sometime in 2021.