Orlando Bloom is in full support of Prime Video’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series, and its cast.
09.09.2022 - 09:11 / variety.com
Ethan Shanfeld It was a good run, but after many pleasantly uneventful decades it would appear we need to add “Lord of the Rings” to the ever-growing list of toxic fandoms. What sent some “Rings of Power” viewers over the edge? Why, the inclusion of a few nonwhite characters, of course — what else? Just as “Star Wars” had to do earlier this year, the “Rings of Power” folks felt compelled to clarify that “Our world has never been all white, fantasy has never been all white, Middle-earth is not all white” in a message sent across the show’s social channels yesterday. The statement was Amazon’s response to the “relentless racism, threats, harassment, and abuse some of our castmates of color are being subjected to on a daily basis. We refuse to ignore it or tolerate it.”
That this was necessary is shameful in and of itself, of course, but it’s also unfortunate in that it’s distracting from discussion of the show itself — which, while not on the level of Peter Jackson’s trilogy (what is?) is proving to be a welcome return to Middle-earth. Yes, Jeff Bezos sucks, and yes, there are departures from the source material (when aren’t there?), but if you view getting to hang out in one of the most beautiful fictional worlds ever created for a few more hours as anything less than a blissful distraction from daily life in a crumbling empire, then what are we even doing here? Not that ours is the only world with problems. Arondir (Ismael Cruz Córdova) has been captured by orcs, dear reader, and taken to a labor camp run by his captors — “for Adar,” one of them says, referring to this episode’s namesake. He and his fellow elf prisoners are being made to dig a path through scorched wilderness for reasons unknown by their
Orlando Bloom is in full support of Prime Video’s Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series, and its cast.
Adam B. Vary Senior Entertainment Writer SPOILER ALERT: This story includes plot points in Episode 4 of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video, as well as one major story development written by author J.R.R. Tolkien in the appendices of “The Lord of the Rings.” Like so many of her castmates of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” Cynthia Addai-Robinson didn’t know exactly who she was playing until she arrived in New Zealand to shoot the Amazon Prime Video series. Unlike several of her castmates, however, Addai-Robinson was not an obsessive fan of the expansive world of Middle-earth created by author J.R.R. Tolkien. But once she was cast as Míriel, the Queen Regent of the resplendently prosperous island nation of Númenor, the veteran actor (“Power,” “Shooter,” “Arrow,” “Spartacus”) dove in head first into the rich history of Númenor and Middle-earth.
Michael Nordine author All is not well in Númenor, dear reader. Queen Regent Míriel is plagued by dreams (or are they prophecies?) of the island’s destruction via “The Great Wave” that gives this episode its title, and rabble-rousers are gathering in the town square to accuse her of being an “elf-lover” — a serious charge indeed. Her waking hours are no less stressful, as Galadriel is putting that theory to the test by once again bothering Míriel about Sauron. She also takes it upon herself to reveal that Halbrand may in fact be the exiled heir to the Southlands’ throne, a theory Míriel neither believes nor cares about; what concern is it of hers whether a far-away would-be kingdom is without its rightful king?
Ismael Cruz Córdova knew playing a Black elf in Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series The Ring of Power was going to be met with backlash, which only made him want it more.
Warning: Spoilers for the first two episodes of “The Rings of Power”.
Elon Musk’s verdict on Amazon’s massive budget drama series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power? “Tolkien is turning in his grave”.
SPOILER ALERT: The first two episodes of Prime Video’s epic The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power are live, and here is a gallery of photos from Season 1. Note that some of the images might be spoilers for those who haven’t watched yet.
SPOILER ALERT: This podcast contains details of the first two episodes of Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which debuted Thursday night. For more on the epic series, watch Deadline’s Inside The Ring: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power after-show that launches Saturday.
A new era of Middle-earth! The Rings of Power explores a totally different side of The Lord of the Rings — and fittingly, the cast is full of new faces.
The Rings Of Power showrunners have confirmed the show’s ending will remain faithful to J.R.R. Tolkien’s source material.Based on the appendices to the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, The Rings Of Power covers Middle-earth’s Second Age, from the rise of Sauron, the forging of the rings and the last alliance between Elves and Men.The show has been mapped out for five seasons by showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay, including an endpoint which won’t deviate from Tolkien’s original works.Asked by NME if they have an ending for the show, McKay said: “Yes, if you’re a fan of the lore or a fan of The Lord Of The Rings, then you know that the rings of power… it’s the rings which were scattered across Middle-earth through Elves, Dwarves and mortal Men as Tolkien called them.
have finally premiered on Prime Video, kicking off season 1 of the prequel series about the Second Age of Middle-earth about a time set several thousand years before the events of and . During this era of peace and prosperity, there are subtle signs of re-emerging evil as many characters’ lives come crashing together. Among them are the lumbering giant (Daniel Weyman), who crash lands on Middle-earth via a meteor, and the Harfoot, Elanor ‘Nori’ Brandyfoot (Markella Kavenagh), who discovers him. Now that the first two episodes are streaming, both Weyman and Kavenagh address the many theories about the stranger’s true identify, including a popular one that he’s Gandalf, the wise and powerful wizard originally played by Sir Ian McKellen in Peter Jackson’s film adaptations of the novels. [: Spoilers for the first two episodes of .] While Hobbits are canon, and led J.R.R. Tolkien’s previous books, Harfoots are new to the overall franchise.
, the Prime Video series adaptation of J.R.R Tolkien’s many writings about Middle-earth, finally debuted the first two anticipated episodes of season 1. The prequel series takes the franchise back in time by thousands of years to explore life during the Second Age, when evil has receded from view… until now. While the series picks up at a time of relative peace and prosperity, there are signs that not all is calm on the waterfront.
SPOILER ALERT: This story contains details of Episode 1 of Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
House of the Dragon” vs. Amazon’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.” It’s such fun, isn’t it? Warner Bros. and Jeff Bezos ruthlessly vying for our attention and money like we’re the hottest girl in school.
Michaela Zee editor“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” is only days away, and the Amazon Prime Video series has earned mostly rave reviews with a few mixed reactions (and one flat-out pan) as critics returned to Middle-earth.As Variety chief TV critic Caroline Framke wrote in her review: “It’s safe to say that Amazon throwing the weight of its coffers at this property has resulted in a perfectly winning adaptation that unfolds swashbuckling adventures with clear reverence and affection for the considerable mythos behind it.”Set during the Second Age of Middle-earth (thousands of years before the events of “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” and “The Hobbit”), the prequel series reintroduces characters from Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” film trilogy, including a young Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and Elrond (Robert Aramayo). The Second Age consists of the rise and fall of Númenor, the creation of the Rings of Power and the formation of the Last Alliance.
notoriously hefty$715 million they reportedly spent on the first season budget and rights to the “Lord of the Rings” franchise.The money certainly shows onscreen: “The Rings of Power” is a dazzling, gorgeous, thrilling trip to Middle Earth.[Warning: Some minor spoilers ahead.]Premiering Sept. 1 at 9 p.m.
Caroline Framke Chief TV Critic Several years (and several hundreds of millions of dollars) after Amazon bought the TV rights to “The Lord of the Rings” from the J.R.R. Tolkien estate, the mammoth effort to boost Prime Video’s profile with the same kind of phenomenon HBO found in “Game of Thrones” is upon us — and it’s just as grand, if not as downright surreal, as the occasion calls for. Sure, “Game of Thrones” might have solidified a television format for fantasy epics. But George R.R. Martin’s novels simply wouldn’t exist without Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings,” and bringing these stories to episodic life requires not just all the considerable money Amazon can provide, but a certain amount of guts from the TV writers taking it on now, some 85 years after “The Hobbit” changed the game.