Amazon's 'Lord of the Rings' series finally has a name and plot

"The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" will see characters confront the power of the rings and the source of evil behind them -- Sauron.

"The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" will center on the 20 rings mentioned, but not deeply explored, in the original "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. The series, set thousands of years before the events of the trilogy, will see heroes and villains new and familiar deal with the aftermath of the rings' creation and the source of evil behind them -- Sauron, according to its showrunners J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay.

Payne and McKay said in a statement that the series "unites all the major stories of Middle-Earth's second age: the forging of the rings, the rise of the Dark Lord Sauron, the epic tale of Númenor and the Last Alliance of Elves and Men," stories familiar to Tolkienites.