Rings Of Power Showrunner Addresses Competing With Jackson LOTR Trilogy
The showrunners of Amazon's The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power address competing with Peter Jackson's original The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Eyes have been on this project ever since Amazon struck a costly deal with the Tolkien estate to develop a brand new TV series back in 2017. News and information regarding the series had been shrouded in mystery for many years, but by 2019, the official creative team was finally confirmed, with J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay acting as showrunners. Amazon then began rolling out casting announcements in early 2020, with filming taking place in New Zealand.
Concerns from the global Tolkien fan base began to grow after a leak that the production team hired an intimacy coordinator for a series of alleged sex scenes, which fans felt did not reflect the vision of the Lord of the Rings universe set by both Tolkien himself and Jackson. When the first official images and teaser trailer were revealed earlier this year, harsh skeptics remained wary. Fears arose that the series was diverging too far from the familiarity set by Jackson's lynchpin trilogy, which set a new standard for cinematic quality in the fantasy genre.
Related: Rings Of Power's LOTR Changes Are A Good Thing, Despite Fan Fears
However, Payne and McKay have been nothing if not self-aware of the massive undertaking throughout the entire process. Speaking to Empire magazine, McKay specifically addresses concerns about how the new series will measure up to the originals by highlighting their love of the films, but also claiming their own stake. See the quote below:
Anyone approaching Lord of the Rings on screen would be wrong not to think about how wonderfully right [Jackson] got so much of it… But we’re admirers from afar,
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