Tackling an iconic and beloved property that’s already gifted the world with one all-time classic movie trilogy and a crushingly disappointing successor is guaranteed to place the project in question under massive pressure, but the first reactions to The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power should help alleviate the concerns of many Tolkien enthusiasts.
Not only has Amazon taken a hefty gamble by committing to a planned five-season run of stories set in Middle-earth, but the first batch of episodes comfortably ranks as the costliest production in small screen history, running up a mind-boggling $465 million budget. Needless to say, The Rings of Power needs to deliver.
Matters haven’t been helped by the purists nitpicking countless issues they have with the series ahead of its debut on September 2, or the day prior depending on your timezone. Thankfully, then, the first set of responses to emerge online in the aftermath of an early screening paints a hugely positive picture.
Of course, there are inevitably going to be more than a few dissenters who bear umbrage with The Rings of Power based on its mere existence, but blockbuster fantasy TV is still all the rage, and the recent debut of Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon only increased the expectations on The Lord of the Rings‘ journey to the Second Age, given that each blockbuster show will be placed under the microscope and be opened up to intense scrutiny.
Luckily, though, it looks as if Amazon and HBO are both set to deliver in a major way, with genre aficionados everywhere poised to breathe a huge sigh of relief as a result.