Are you one of those people who are wondering why people are hating Amazon Prime’s upcoming multi-million dollar fantasy extravaganza, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power? Well, you are not the only one. Nearly five months have passed since the arrival of the show’s super bowl teaser. Still, the majority of the diehard fanbase of J. R. R. Tolkien is up and arms about the upcoming LOTR series. Why is that? Let’s dive deep into this scenario!
The original LOTR trilogy, helmed by Peter Jackson, treasures a dedicated fanbase. There is no question about that. All the films in the trilogy are globally prominent for their innovative special effects, outstanding battle sequences, heart-winning acting performances, Howard Shore’s mesmerising musical score, beautiful set designs, and great emotional depth. They are the epitomes of flawless filmmaking. To even think about topping these masterpieces is mere stupidity. And a lot of fans strongly believe that Amazon’s The Rings of Power will end up besmirching the original trilogy.
We can compare the original LOTR trilogy with the Star Wars original trilogy. Then, we have The Hobbit trilogy, serving as the prequel to the events of the original trilogy, similar to the prequel trilogy of Star Wars. And we all know what happened to the Star Wars sequels.
The title itself, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, has come under the fans’ radar. They believe that the show’s title is lame and dumb. Another thing that fans have pointed out is that Amazon’s version of LOTR looks like a cheesy and cheap rip-off of Peter Jackson’s work.
The thing that concerns fans the most is that the show will not serve as a continuation of the original LOTR and Hobbit trilogies because of legal reasons. Instead, it will explore many important events that occurred during Tolkien’s Middle-earth’s Second Age: the forging of the rings, the Dark Lord Sauron’s origin story, the fall of the Numenor kingdom, and the alliance between Men and Elves. It means the showrunners can alter many elements from the Tolkien universe in the name of creative freedom. And the thing that worries the fans most is that the makers are allowed to adapt only the lores available in the Appendices. It means that the showrunners do not even have a straightforward narrative for the show.
The showrunning duo of J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay was hired by Amazon in July 2018, thanks to the recommendation of J. J. Abrams. Although, fans accepted this news as a red flag. But the addition of Tom Shippey, a well-known Tolkien academic, made things a bit smooth for Amazon. Shippey has worked with Peter Jackson on the original LOTR trilogy. However, his abrupt departure from the show triggered the fans again.
Also, the characterisations of Galadriel and Elrond in the upcoming LOTR instalment have become a major concern for the fanbase. Galadriel was seen donning armour and hailed as a “commander” of armies in one of the first set photos released by the makers. On the other hand, Elrond was named the “architect” of Last Alliance. But the Tolkien novels prove that Elron was the one who fought in Last Alliance, not Galadriel.
Fans have also pointed out Amazon’s efforts to “GoT-fying” the forthcoming LOTR show instead of honouring Tolkien’s works. And guess what happened to Game of Thrones?
Furthermore, the show’s diverse cast has received a huge backlash from the fans. This is not the first time fans have displayed their disappointment over diverse performers. Kelly Maire Tran played Rose in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. She received tons of hateful or racist messages on social media after the film’s release. Another Star Wars fellow, Moses Ingram, suffered a racist backlash right after the pilot episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi came out.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will hit Amazon Prime Video on September 2. Stay tuned for more updates.