Lord of the Rings FIRST TRAILER: Rings of Power teaser is released during Super Bowl for $1BILLION series featuring Middle Earth's first ever black elf and most diverse cast ever

 More than four years after Amazon secured the rights to The Lord of the Rings franchise, the first footage has been released from The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power.

A teaser for the new series aired during Sunday night's Super Bowl LV1, with fans given their first glimpse at the franchise's diverse new direction, which features the first ever black elf in Middle Earth's history. 

Amazon shelled out $250 million just for the TV rights to the Lord of the Rings franchise alone, with a five-season production commitment said to be worth at least $1 billion and making it the most expensive series in TV history.

The first season alone has a reported budget of a massive $465million, with the first season slated to debut September 2. First footage: More than four years after Amazon secured the rights to The Lord of the Rings franchise in a massive deal said to be worth more than $1 billion, the first footage has been released from The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power

First footage: More than four years after Amazon secured the rights to The Lord of the Rings franchise in a massive deal said to be worth more than $1 billion, the first footage has been released from The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power

The trailer begins with footage from a large seaport as a young woman's voice is heard saying, 'Haven't you ever wondered what else is out there? There's wonders in this world beyond our wandering. I can feel it.'

Another shot reveals a massive waterfall as a young woman drives her dagger into the side of a mountain and holds on for dear life. 

Another character is seen braving a storm on the sea in a small boat, while the franchise's first black elf is seen catching an arrow that was fired at him, before loading it into his own bow and firing it back towards his unseen nemesis in the dark woods.

The trailer also makes it clear the show is set before The Lord of the Rings movie and book trilogy and The Hobbit book and movies.  

New look: A teaser for the new series aired during Sunday night's Super Bowl LV1, with fans given their first glimpse at the franchise's diverse new direction, which features the first ever black elf - played by Ismael Cruz Córdova - in Middle Earth's history

New look: A teaser for the new series aired during Sunday night's Super Bowl LV1, with fans given their first glimpse at the franchise's diverse new direction, which features the first ever black elf - played by Ismael Cruz Córdova - in Middle Earth's history

Debut: The first season alone has a reported budget of a massive $465 million, with the first season slated to debut September 2 on Amazon Prime

Debut: The first season alone has a reported budget of a massive $465 million, with the first season slated to debut September 2 on Amazon Prime 

The official description reveals the show is set in, 'the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth's history,' set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

The show will, take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien's pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness.'

'Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth,' the description adds. 

20 years after the original film trilogy was released, the show will juggle a whopping 22 characters and multiple storylines, fleshing out the various lands and battles that were briefly touched on while Frodo journeyed to Mount Doom.  

Seaport: The trailer begins with footage from a large seaport as a young woman's voice is heard saying, 'Haven't you ever wondered what else is out there?'

Seaport: The trailer begins with footage from a large seaport as a young woman's voice is heard saying, 'Haven't you ever wondered what else is out there?'

Mountain: Another shot reveals a massive waterfall as a young woman drives her dagger into the side of a mountain and holds on for dear life

Mountain: Another shot reveals a massive waterfall as a young woman drives her dagger into the side of a mountain and holds on for dear life

From deep within the dwarf mines of the Misty Mountains to the high politics of the elven kingdom of Lindon and the humans' powerful, Atlantis-like island, Númenor, all the stories will eventually culminate in the incident that gives the trilogy its name. 

The series is set to feature the most diverse cast in the franchise's history, and along with starring a black elf, Lenny Henry will star as a harfoot elder. 

Sophia Nomvete also stars as a dwarven princess named Disa - making her the first black, and female, woman to play a dwarf in the Lord of the Rings universe.

Executive producer Lindsey Weber, explained: 'It felt only natural to us that an adaptation of Tolkien's work would reflect what the world actually looks like.

'Tolkien is for everyone. His stories are about his fictional races doing their best work when they leave the isolation of their own cultures and come together.' 

Archer: Another character is seen braving a storm on the sea in a small boat, while another archer character is seen catching an arrow that was fired at him

Archer: Another character is seen braving a storm on the sea in a small boat, while another archer character is seen catching an arrow that was fired at him

Before: The trailer also makes it clear the show is set before The Lord of the Rings movie and book trilogy and The Hobbit book and movies

Before: The trailer also makes it clear the show is set before The Lord of the Rings movie and book trilogy and The Hobbit book and movies

Speaking to the publication, creators Patrick McKay and JD Payne also admitted they are well aware of fans' high expectations for the show.

'The forging of the rings, rings for the elves, rings for dwarves, rings for men, and then the one ring Sauron used to deceive them all. 

'It's the story of the creation of all those powers, where they came from, and what they did to each of those races,' McKay said.

Asked for the driving force behind the entire production, he added: 'Can we come up with the novel Tolkien never wrote and do it as the mega-event series that could only happen now?'

It's no surprise that some of the show's characters will be familiar to Middle Earth fans, with the royal elf Galadriel set to appear, though she will not be played by Cate Blanchett.

Instead, the character will be played by Saint Maud star, Morfydd Clark, regressing the heroine back to a brash elf who is commanding the Northern Armies in a desperate fight for the future.  

Creature: The trailer also shows an elven character along with many others on horses and another character fights back a huge creature with a torch

Creature: The trailer also shows an elven character along with many others on horses and another character fights back a huge creature with a torch

Final shot: The final shot reveals a small hand gripping a few fingers of a much larger hand as the title card is revealed

Final shot: The final shot reveals a small hand gripping a few fingers of a much larger hand as the title card is revealed

McKay also dismissed concerns from fans that the series could be heading in a Game Of Thrones-esque direction, after it was reported that Amazon hired an intimacy coordinator for the series' set in New Zealand.

He added that their was 'to make a show for everyone, for kids who are 11, 12, and 13, even though sometimes they might have to pull the blanket up over their eyes if it's a little too scary. 

'We talked about the tone in Tolkien's books. This is material that is sometimes scary—and sometimes very intense, sometimes quite political, sometimes quite sophisticated—but it's also heartwarming and life-affirming and optimistic. 

'It's about friendship and it's about brotherhood and underdogs overcoming great darkness.'

Amazon are yet to confirm the vast budget for the series, but it's thought to be an eye-watering $462 million, when factoring in the huge sum Amazon paid to get the rights from the Tolkien estate. 

The eye-watering figure also includes building infrastructure that will be used in later seasons - and it's been offset by a $108 million tax rebate.

Powers: The show will, take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien's pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness'

Powers: The show will, take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien's pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness'

Series description: The official description reveals the show is set in, 'the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth's history,' set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings

Series description: The official description reveals the show is set in, 'the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth's history,' set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings

Once the show has taken its global marketing campaign into consideration, it's likely the final cost could top $1 billion.

The Lord Of The Rings original trilogy was released annually from 2001 to 2003, becoming the most acclaimed fantasy film series in history.

The conclusion to the series, titled Return Of The King, became the first ever film of its kind of win the Academy Award for Best Picture, while Peter Jackson won Best Director.

In 2012 Jackson returned to the series to direct the prequel series The Hobbit, based on Tolkien's book of the same name. The first teaser for The Rings Of Power was released last month, unveiling the show's official title for the first time.

The voice-over said: 'Three rings for the elven-kings under the sky. Seven for the Dwarf-lords, in their halls of stone.

'Nine for mortal men, doomed to die. One for the Dark Lord, on his dark throne in the land of Mordor where the shadows lie.'  

Last week it was also revealed that the price for Prime Video is set to increase for US viewers, going from $119 (£88) to $139 (£102) for an annual subscription, while monthly charges will be bumped up to $14.99. 

The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings of Power will be released on Prime Video on Wednesday, September 2.   

Icons: The Lord Of The Rings films were released from 2001 to 2003, becoming one of the most praised film series in history (Ian McKellen pictured as Gandalf and Elijah Wood as Frodo)

Icons: The Lord Of The Rings films were released from 2001 to 2003, becoming one of the most praised film series in history (Ian McKellen pictured as Gandalf and Elijah Wood as Frodo)Title of Lord of the Rings spinoff The Rings of Power revealed

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