The arrival of Amazon Prime’s The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power prequel series has been a source of friction among fans, to say the least. And given that it will inevitably be viewed as a follow-up to Peter Jackson’s beloved Lord Of The Rings movie trilogy, it’s to be expected that sparks will fly. However, as controversial as Rings Of Power is proving, we’re very curious to see what’s in store for the final sneak peek.
Directed jointly between Wayne Che Yip, J.A. Bayona and Charlotte Brändström, the cinematography and character designs certainly look impressive. It does, however, have a distinctly different feel to the rest of the cinematic Middle Earth content we’ve received so far, which has proven to be a significant source of backlash against the show. It’s understandable in many ways, as the sudden change in look, tone and tempo is undeniably jarring for many loyal fans. But from a technical standpoint, it does look good, and I’m interested to see how it plays out.
We know for certain that the series will be set during The Second Age of Middle Earth, long before the events of both The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings, and that its content will draw primarily from a mix of Tolkien’s 1977 prequel novel, The Silmarillion, and original additional material. The trailer also gives more of a look into Morfydd Clark’s performance as Galadriel, a younger version of whom is said to take centre stage in the upcoming series. And while she may not be as whimsical as Cate Blanchett’s Galadriel from way back in the day, I quite enjoy the polarisation here. It makes sense that a fiery youngster like Clark’s Galadriel would grow into the wise and sagely Elf woman we see in The Lord Of The Rings. Perhaps, as the series progresses, we might get to see that change slowly take hold.
It’s now officially confirmed that the primary conflict in The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power will be the forging of the rings and the subsequent rise of Sauron. An exciting prospect of the show is seeing Maxim Baldry playing a young Isildur and Robert Aramayo filling the shoes of Hugo Weaving as Elrond. If executed well, exploring the prior between Isildur and Elrond will be an absolute treat to watch and will lend all the more weight to the events we know occur in the future.
In addition to this, we also have Benjamin Walker appearing as Gil-galad, Peter Mullan as Durin III, Owain Arthur as Durin IV, and many more.
While prequels are always tricky, the risk factor doubles tenfold when the source material is as universally cherished as J. R. R. Tolkien. It’s a tall order to take on the grandaddy of all fantasy, but I’m intrigued to see what they pull from it. A world rich in lore, the possibilities for this series are endless. Let’s just hope the colossal, jaw-dropping budget of $1 billion has been put to good use. Officially crowned the most expensive show ever made, we’d like to hope that both old and new fans will be able to walk away with smiles on their faces.
The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power is set to debut on September 2nd on Amazon Prime.
A double murder on the banks of the Thames draws a young woman into a millennia-old conspiracy that threatens to destroy us all.
DAUGHTERS OF ALBION OUT NOW!
