Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos made light of the fact that the showrunners disregarded his suggestions for improving “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” during the international premiere. The most costly television production in history is about to debut, and it will transport fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s magical Middle-earth into the Second Age. “The Rings of Power,” which is essentially a precursor to the Peter Jackson-directed Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies, will follow well-known figures like Elrond and Galadriel as well as many newcomers as they deal with Sauron’s early ascent to power.
During a busy period for premium programming, the streaming service is releasing the eight-episode first season. All eyes are on the makeshift battle between fantasy titans: “The Rings of Power” and “House of the Dragon,” HBO’s record-breaking Game of Thrones prequel. While projects like Andor, Wednesday, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Atlanta are still scheduled for release during the fall 2022 block, all attention is on this one. More significantly, doubting audiences want to know if the Lord of the Rings prequel is a respectable rendition of Tolkien’s writing.
“The Rings of Power” wanted to shine during its world premiere at London’s Leicester Square Odeon Luxe, where Bezos made a surprise visit, with millions of eyes already on the HBO series. The opulent celebration was covered by Deadline, and Bezos disclosed that his son, a major Tolkien lover, begged his father, “Dad, please don’t f**k this up.” The founder of Amazon also made light of the fact that Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne, the creators of “The Rings of Power,” disregarded some of his instructions for them. See the complete quotation below:
“Every showrunner’s dream is to get notes on early scripts and cuts from the Executive Chairman, they just love that. I want to thank you both for listening whenever it helped, but mostly I need to thank you for ignoring me at exactly the right times.”
Bezos’ humor about having his suggestions ignored and his faith in the showrunners’ efforts are a powerful demonstration of support for the daring new series. He has also previously refuted claims that “The Rings of Power” is a money-grabbing venture because of the popularity of Peter Jackson’s movies and the posthumous prominence of J. R. R. Tolkien in the fantasy genre. That popular support for the Lord of the Rings franchise and the Prime Video series, which is up against a real battle in House of the Dragon, was only strengthened by Bezos’ remarks at the world premiere.
The HBO show has a solid start in terms of viewership, and given the present glut of content, some fantasy enthusiasts may find it challenging to decide which series to watch. A stronger TV program may or may not arise from McKay and Payne’s capacity to ignore some of their boss’s suggestions, but they will need to have produced something unique to establish its value and justification for additional seasons. With Bezos’ backing, the showrunners of “The Rings of Power” may not need to worry about being referenced in the same sentence as House of the Dragon in the future.
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