Short answers, pulled from the story.
J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay developed the series for Amazon Prime Video, having been hired in July 2018. Director J. J. Abrams championed their selection, having previously collaborated with them on an unproduced Star Trek film.
The series premiered on the 1st of September 2022, releasing simultaneously in more than 240 countries and territories. A second season followed in August 2024, and the third season is set to premiere in November 2026.
The series is set during the Second Age of Middle-earth, thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. It depicts the forging of the Rings of Power, the rise of Sauron as the new Dark Lord, and the fall of the island kingdom of Númenor.
By October 2024, the first season had been watched by more than 150 million viewers globally, making it Prime Video's most-watched season. The second season reached 40 million viewers in its first 11 days of release.
Bear McCreary composed the original score for the series, writing more than 15 new themes. Howard Shore, who wrote the music for both of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogies, composed the main title theme.
Amazon moved production to the UK starting with the second season for several reasons. The company was already investing heavily in UK studio space, and New Zealand's pandemic-era border policies had created complications. The Tolkien Estate also preferred the UK, since Tolkien drew on British landscapes when writing his books.