Rings of Power Showrunner Says Series Won’t Try to Compete With Lord of the Rings Film Trilogy

Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series is debuting in September, but don’t expect a remake of the beloved Peter Jackson films. The new series promises to be very different from the trilogy. In fact, it takes place 1,000 years before Lord of the Rings. Recently, concept artist John Howe teased, “This isn’t the Middle-earth you remember.” During an interview with Empire, co-showrunner Patrick McKay made it clear that they’re not trying to compete with Jackson. 

“Anyone approaching Lord Of The Rings on screen would be wrong not to think about how wonderfully right Jackson got so much of it,” McKay tells the magazine. “But we’re admirers from afar, that’s it. The Rings Of Power doesn’t try to compete with him.” He added, “You can psych yourself out in keeping up with the Joneses, but one of the mantras on this was ‘go back to the source material … What would Tolkien do?”

McKay added, “Some of these other competing properties – they play one octave really beautifully … But Tolkien was playing every note on the piano. He had that variety of tones. There’s the whimsy, friendship, and humour that Harry Potter is so beloved for – but there’s sophistication, politics, history, mythology, and depth, too. So for us, it was about going deeper into what we are, rather than worrying about what other folks are doing.” 

The upcoming show has caused some reactions from the film trilogy’s stars, including Sean Astin (Samwise Gamgee), who has expressed his excitement for the show. Another Lord of the Rings alum, Viggo Mortensen (Aragorn), spoke with The Hollywood Reporter and admitted he forgot the series was happening but said he does plan to watch.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is set during Middle-earth’s Second Age. It begins during a time of relative peace following the defeat of Morgoth, Sauron’s master. The series chronicles the lives and adventures of its ensemble cast and promises to visit the Misty Mountains, the forest elf-capital of Lindon, and the shores of the island kingdom of Númenor. The cast includes Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Robert Aramayo, Owain Arthur, Maxim Baldry, Nazanin Boniadi, Morfydd Clark, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Charles Edwards, Trystan Gravelle, Sir Lenny Henry, Ema Horvath, Markella Kavenagh, Joseph Mawle, Tyroe Muhafidin, Sophia Nomvete, Lloyd Owen, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Charlie Vickers, Leon Wadham, Benjamin Walker, Daniel Weyman, and Sara Zwangobani.

Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power will debut on Prime Video on September 2nd.