The First Reactions To The Lord Of The Rings Series Are Unanimous

Amazon acquired the television rights for The Lord of the Rings in November 2017, with a five-season production commitment valued at around $1 billion.

By Charlene Badasie | Published 2 years ago

Amazon’s highly anticipated Lord of the Rings series is still a few months away. But, thanks to a special screening from the studio, a few lucky fans have already seen The Rings of Power. Along with exclusive access to the viewing, these die-hards also got to meet the showrunners and creative team behind the series. As these first reactions make their way online, the show sounds very promising.

One attendee, aptly named Tolkien Professor, who also happens to be the President of Signum University and scholar of J.R.R. Tolkien, said that the Lord of the Rings prequel series is in very good hands.

Last week, I was invited by the @LOTRonPrime folks, along with a bunch of other internet Tolkien folks, to attend an advanced screening of some footage from the #RingsofPower show and to meet the showrunners. I must say: after meeting them, I feel the show is in VERY good hands.

— Tolkien Professor (@tolkienprof) May 9, 2022

Another fan gushed over the aesthetics of the series saying, “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power looks like it should, sounds like it should, and feels like a return to the comfortable universe we all love.”

Let’s not bury the lede. Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power looks like it should, sounds like it should, and feels like a return to the comfortable universe we all love. #LOTRROP pic.twitter.com/xhTBm3OY1G

— TheOneRing.net (@theoneringnet) May 9, 2022

For others, the early screening simply increased their excitement for the rest of the series. “I was excited by the footage and am looking forward to the show even more now.”

2/ I was excited by the footage and am looking forward to the show even more now. But what really excited me was the opportunity to hear from the showrunners.

— Digital Tolkien Project (@DigitalTolkien) May 9, 2022

Meanwhile, the unanimous praise for Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series continues. Viewers who were a little skeptical at first also left the screening with a sense of optimism about the series. Check out more fan reactions below:

First, we spent a full day in Oxford together with the biggest Tolkien content creators in the world. We took a “Tolkien tour” of the city and even attended a wonderful talk with Tolkienist John Garth. ✍🏻 pic.twitter.com/uMUrlO5A5X

— Tolkien Talk (@TolkienTalkBR) May 9, 2022

@LOTROnPrime had me and @tolkienprof to London last week to see bits of the #RingsofPower, Tolkien’s Oxford, & to meet the show runners, who kept up with the best of us. Their passion & knowledge made me feel like they were one of us;they get it. I’m feeling very optimistic! pic.twitter.com/dBWq3x4v9w

— Dr. Maggie Parke (@MaggieParke) May 9, 2022

Amazon invited me to an event in London where I saw footage from the show and got to meet the showrunners. The showrunners were excellent and their passion filled me with confidence and time will tell whether that will be translated onto the screen!…

1/2 pic.twitter.com/xq8ZccexRi

— Fellowship of Fans (@FellowshipFans) May 9, 2022

Alan and Shawn were invited to London by Amazon Prime Video to view a sneak peek of footage from The Rings of Power, and to meet the showrunners! We can say that we have moved from 'cautious optimism' to 'restrained anticipation', and are looking forward to telling you more!

— The Prancing Pony Podcast (@prancingponypod) May 9, 2022

Based on stories by J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power was developed for television by J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay. The first eight-episode season was filmed in New Zealand from February 2020 to August 2021, with a months-long production break during the height of Covid-19. The series is produced by Amazon Studios, along with the Tolkien Estate and Trust, HarperCollins, and New Line Cinema.

The series is set in the Second Age of Middle-earth, thousands of years before the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Exploring the history of Middle-earth, the story begins during a time of relative peace and covers all the major events of that time. This includes the forging of the Rings of Power, the Dark Lord Sauron’s rise to power, the fall of the island Kingdom of Númenor, and the final alliance between men and elves. In the source material, these events happen over thousands of years. But they will be condensed for the series.

Amazon acquired the television rights for The Lord of the Rings in November 2017, with a five-season production commitment valued at around $1 billion. The series is primarily based on the appendices of the flagship novel series, and it features a diverse cast from around the world. However, due to some complicated legal stuff, it is not billed as a direct continuation of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit trilogies. But the series will evoke the memory of those films by using a similar production design. It will also feature younger versions of characters from the movies.

In August 2021, Amazon Prime Video revealed that production for all future seasons of The Lord of the Rings series would take place in the United Kingdom. Filming for the second installment is expected to begin in the middle of this year. But for now, Tolkien fans can look forward to the debut season which is set to premiere on September 2nd.

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