The First Two Episodes Of The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power Are Coming To Theaters

Remember the halcyon days when the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy dominated theaters and made going to the movies an experience again? I certainly do, which is why it tickles me to report that the upcoming Prime Video series "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" will have its first two episodes screened in theaters ahead of its streaming release.

If you're ready to head back to Middle-earth already, the new series set in the world created by J.R.R. Tolkien will screen its first two episodes in worldwide fan events on August 31, 2022. Theater chain Cinemark will be running the one-night-only event and has created a website for the screenings. According to that, tickets will become available for purchase at 9 a.m. PT on August 22, 2022, and tickets will also include a $10 snack voucher, which will definitely make your voyage back to Mount Doom a little sweeter.

Herein lies the catch, however: The "LOTR" event is only available to Cinemark Movie Rewards members, the chain's loyalty program. However, there are both paid and free subscription tiers, so if you want the benefits without the price tag, there are options for you. But never fear the show will make its Prime Video debut just two days after the advanced screenings on September 2, 2022, so even if you don't come out to the movies, you'll still get your "LOTR" fix in due time.

Amazon will also screen the series outside of the United States and Canada, with screenings set for theaters in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and Colombia so far. According to Variety, the event will span approximately 200 locations worldwide.

There's no denying that the "Lord of the Rings" fandom is a vibrant and loud one. In fact, their legacy goes back years to the early days of what we colloquially know as fandom, and they have always been lauded as one of the original groups to hit that kind of fanatic height that is now so common among "stans" (in case you have yet to realize, that word comes from the Eminem song about fan culture called "Stan").

It is with this in mind that Amazon seems to be pushing for as much promo as they can muster with "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power." They've done several poster and trailer drops — as well as a hefty dedicated panel at San Diego Comic Con this year — and now, they've organized this global advanced screening to get new and old "LOTR" fans alike back into the vast and complex headspace these in-depth fantasy tales require. Hopefully, this will translate to major viewership for the series, which will transfer to the classic weekly episode release following its initial drop of two episodes in line with global fan events.

"The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" will premiere on Prime Video on September 2, 2022.