The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Showrunner Addresses Series’ Sex and Violence

The inherent nature of battles between good and evil, especially in fantastical worlds, brings with it an intensity, though previous adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s stories set in Middle-earth have plateaued at the PG-13 level. With the upcoming TV series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power for Amazon Prime Video, reports from the production likened the subject matter to being closer to Game of Thrones, a fantasy series that often delivered gruesome violence and lengthy sex scenes. Co-showrunner Patrick McKay recently clarified those concerns, noting that the tone aims to appeal to preteens, though some sequences might get a bit too intense for them. The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on September 2nd.

When speaking to Vanity Fair, McKay noted that the goal was “to make a show for everyone, for kids who are 11, 12, and 13, even though sometimes they might have to pull the blanket up over their eyes if it’s a little too scary. We talked about the tone in Tolkien’s books. This is material that is sometimes scary-and sometimes very intense, sometimes quite political, sometimes quite sophisticated — but it’s also heartwarming and life-affirming and optimistic. It’s about friendship and it’s about brotherhood and underdogs overcoming great darkness.”

In regards to love scenes, fans were initially apprehensive following reports of the production enlisting an intimacy coordinator, a role that has become more common in a variety of productions. Shortly after those reports emerged, TheOneRing.net would go on to clarify the need for such a figure on the series, noting that scenes required actors to be nude, though not for love scenes.

The outlet expressed last summer, “Nudity is sparse and not sexualized — contrary to earlier concerns: but rather this artistic choice represents very dark thematic material suggestive of concentration camp-type visuals of victims, a harrowing portrayal of the corruption of the Elves by dark powers to ultimately become Orcs [if this plays out fully it will may well be one of the most ambitious things undertaken by this production and perhaps by anyone attempting to adapt Tolkien].”

The first trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is expected to debut this weekend. The series premieres on Amazon Prime Video on September 2nd.

What do you think of the showrunner’s remarks? Let us know in the comments below!