Shocking comments from one of the reigning monarchs in The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power are bound to send shockwaves through Middle-earth.
Per Collider, actor Peter Mullan – who plays Durin III, King of the Dwarves – jokingly threw his support behind his character’s astonishingly mercenary decision not to protect the Elves.
“I absolutely agree with that decision. They’re boring as all hell, and kill the Elves! That comes from the Dwarf. King Dwarf says the Elves deserve everything they get. They’re too big, literally and metaphorically. Get rid!”
In the hit Prime Video series, his character is a central figure whose non-interventionist politics and reluctance to ally with the Elves puts him at odds with his son, Prince Durin IV.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power takes place in the Second Age, one thousand years before the events of The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Amazon Studios acquired the rights to create a television adaptation of The Lord of the Rings from J.R.R. Tolkien’s estate in 2017, hiring showrunners Patrick McKay and J.D. Payne to develop a history of Middle-earth’s Second Age, investing $1 billion to tell Sauron’s origin story in a five-season series.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power is the most expensive production in television history, but the investment seems to be paying off. Since its premiere on September 1, 2022, it has become the most-watched original series on Prime Video.
Maybe Mullan will find himself with even more big calls to make in season 2 and beyond, but he’s already proven he’s not above making tough decisions to protect his kingdom.