THE LORD OF THE RINGS: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) dir. Peter Jackson
THE LORD OF THE RINGS: The Rings of Power, 1×08: Alloyed (2022 -) dir. Wayne Che Yip
middle earth
One stray thought on the Rings of Power “controversy”
Regardless of its flaws (Tolkien fans have told me there are many) this show really highlights how ridiculous it was for Peter Jackson and co to present an almost all-white Middle Earth in their movies. It bugs me more and more, especially when you learn about the deliberately exclusive, incredibly infuriating casting policy. And if you look at Rings of Power as being a deliberate prequel to the movies rather than much to do with the books, what we’ve unfortunately got now is an on-camera fantasy world where everyone gets lighter and society gets less diverse the further into the future one gets.
…Which you’d think would make the racist crowd like it more. Go figure.
The Lord Of The Rings stars Elijah Wood, Billy Boyd, Sean Astin, and Dominic Monaghan show support for The Rings Of Power cast amid racist backlash: “You are all welcome here”.
The cast of The Rings of Power also posted a statement on the official accounts of the show on social media.
We, the cast of Rings of Power, stand together in absolute solidarity and against 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.
JRR Tolkien created a world which, by definition, is multi-cultural. A world in which free peoples from different races and cultures join together, in fellowship, to defeat the forces of evil. Rings of Power reflects that. Our world has never been all white, fantasy has never been all white, Middle-earth is not all white. BIPOC belong in Middle-earth and they are here to stay.
Finally, all our love and fellowship go out to the fans supporting us, especially fans of colour who are themselves being attacked simply for existing in this fandom. We see you, your bravery, and endless creativity. Your cosplays, fancams, fan art, and insights make this community a richer place and remind us of our purpose. You are valid, you are loved, and you belong. You are an integral part of the LOTR family – thanks for having our backs.
Namárië
“The Rings of Power” and the Issue of Race — Lord of the Rings Rings of Power on Amazon Prime News, JRR Tolkien, The Hobbit and more | TheOneRing.net
The first-ever reveal of Amazon’s TV series The Lord of the Rings – The Rings of Power via Vanity Fair last week ignited anew the flame of passion for discussing Tolkien’s works, now being adapted for a new medium and in a new format; more so because the showrunners have set out to “come up with…
“The Rings of Power” and the Issue of Race — Lord of the Rings Rings of Power on Amazon Prime News, JRR Tolkien, The Hobbit and more | TheOneRing.net
I’ve followed TORn on and off for oh man, well over a decade now and I’m very relieved to see this statement. I can’t believe the amount of racism I’ve seen in Middle Earth fandom over the past couple days. One racist statement would be too much, but… damn. I’m so sorry to the fans who have to put up with this.
(side note: I had no idea Sir Lenny Henry was in The Rings of Power! I’m still a little dubious about this franchise being in the hands of Amazon but he’s a good reason to watch it.)
Russian LORD OF THE RINGS Adaptation Makes Its Way Online — Nerdist
The Lord of the Rings is a big topic of discussion these days. That’s mostly thanks to quarantine cast reunions and Amazon’s upcoming Middle-earth series. Of all the fantastical lands out there, J.R.R. Tolkien’s universe remains one of the most beloved and revered almost a century after The Hobbit‘s publication. It’s a world we’ll never…
Russian LORD OF THE RINGS Adaptation Makes Its Way Online — Nerdist
So this looks AMAZING?
