Sixth episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power just debuted on Amazon's Prime Video streaming service. Each week, millions of fans tune in to experience adventures in Middle-earth and beyond. Despite the negative reviews and outrage when the series originally launched, it has been a success thus far. The series based on J.R.R. Tolkien's writings has a lot on the line for Prime Video, and the team working on it did everything they could to make sure it ran for several seasons.
It turns out that another streaming provider came close to producing a Lord of the Rings television series. In reality, the Tolkien estate received pitches from two significant businesses, but the family was unimpressed. The Hollywood Reporter claims that both Netflix and HBO tried their hand at the well-liked franchise but were not well-received. Following Middle-earths Third Age, HBO first proposed a concept that would ultimately be a retelling of the story that Peter Jackson brought to life in his feature film trilogy. Of course, the estate had issues with his adaption before that. Jackson was alleged to have "eviscerated" Christopher Tolkien's works, and the family didn't want to repeat the same narrative.
Then Netflix would try their hand at a Lord of the Rings show or several shows concurrently. According to a source who spoke to THR, Netflix "went the Marvel route," selling both a Gandalf drama and an Aragorn series. Netflix never further in the creative process after the concepts "totally scared out the estate," nevertheless. The studio probably wanted to experiment with the concept of a connected universe, much like Marvel has since 2008 and Game of Thrones is doing now with its spinoffs and upcoming projects. The estate, on the other hand, preferred the opposite, with one production and story taking centre stage.
What Presented Amazon to the Tolkien Estate?
The final winner of the rights to produce the presently airing series The Rings of Power would be Amazon. The co-head of Amazon Studios TV, Vernon Sanders, however, claimed that "our joint love and fidelity to Tolkien that truly won the day." Of course, someone would need to direct the show. This resulted in J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, the showrunners, realising that updating earlier tales was not the key to creating a great series set in the Tolkien universe. They desired to move the action to the uncharted Second Age instead.
The Fellowship of the Ring's opening five minutes, which were narrated by Galadriel and explained the tale of the rings of power, would be chronicled over the course of five seasons, according to THR. The two also stated that they wanted the show to seem "genuine and lived in," not like Narnia or Braveheart.
Related Article: Title Sequence in The Rings of Power Detailed
After acquiring the Lord of the Rings rights, Amazon would eventually interview a large number of writers, producers, and filmmakers, including professionals like the Russo brothers. However, Payne and McKay's expertise in Tolkien was what ultimately led to their employment. Jennifer Salke, the head of Amazon Studios, remarked, "They had such a strong connection to the material that was present from the beginning, it was amazing to hear them bounce back and forth. Since it was their innate organic interest, there was nothing you could do to educate them about it."
Fans will undoubtedly have their own opinions about The Rings of Power. However, the showrunners' devotion to the original material is undeniable, as their work is evident in each and every frame of the show. Galadriel and the rest of the ensemble cast can be seen continuing their journey in The Rings of Power, which is released on Prime Video every Friday.
