‘Rings of Power’ Premiere: Daniel Weyman On Those Gandalf Theories About The Stranger (Exclusive)

Ethan Shanfeld It was a good run, but after many pleasantly uneventful decades it would appear we need to add “Lord of the Rings” to the ever-growing list of toxic fandoms. What sent some “Rings of Power” viewers over the edge? Why, the inclusion of a few nonwhite characters, of course — what else? Just as “Star Wars” had to do earlier this year, the “Rings of Power” folks felt compelled to clarify that “Our world has never been all white, fantasy has never been all white, Middle-earth is not all white” in a message sent across the show’s social channels yesterday. The statement was Amazon’s response to the “relentless racism, threats, harassment, and abuse some of our castmates of color are being subjected to on a daily basis. We refuse to ignore it or tolerate it.”

The original stars of The Lord of the Rings film series by Peter Jackson are coming together to plead for inclusivity amid a racist backlash against the series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. Some viewers have expressed their discontent over the casting of people of color for the series as they believe it goes against the source material created by author J. R. R. Tolkien.

Warning: Spoilers for the first two episodes of “The Rings of Power”.

Zack Sharf Elon Musk has reignited his longstanding rivalry with Amazon founder and executive chairman Jeff Bezos, this time over Amazon’s buzzy new series “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.” The first two episodes of “The Rings of Power” debuted Sept. 2 on Prime Video to strong reviews from critics and 25 million global viewers during their first 24 hours available to stream. Musk is not a fan of the series. “Tolkien is turning in his grave,” the Tesla CEO and founder wrote on Twitter. “Almost every male character so far is a coward, a jerk or both. Only Galadriel is brave, smart and nice.” Some of the “Lord of the Rings” fandom is upset with the show for turning Galadriel, played by Cate Blanchett in Peter Jackson’s film trilogy as a serene and regal elf, into a full-blown action hero. Galadriel is played by Morfydd Clark in the Amazon series. Clark previously defended her interpretation of the character.

Elon Musk’s verdict on Amazon’s massive budget drama series The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power? “Tolkien is turning in his grave”.

The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power premiered on Thursday, September 1, with the first two episodes dropping on Amazon Prime Video.While the new series has teased many of the show's central characters, including familiar faces like Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and Elrond (Robert Aramayo), both of which also appeared in Peter Jackson's film trilogy, one fan favorite with readers has been noticeably absent from the initial storyline: Círdan.Described as 'the oldest and wisest of the elves', it turns out Círdan The Shipwright won't make an appearance during these first eight episodes of season one, but fans will be happy to know that he will make his debut in season two. Disclosure: The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power co-showrunner J.D. Payne announced the fan favorite character Círdan The Shipwright will be introduced in season two of the seriesDuring a recent interview with Time, series co-showrunner J.D.

Adam B. Vary Senior Entertainment Writer “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” is as big a TV show as TV shows have ever been, with a record-setting budget spent on recreating J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth during the Second Age, and a cast of nearly two dozen series regulars and dozens more featured players deployed to enact its sprawling tale of the rise of Sauron. And yet one character sits undeniably at the show’s center: Galadriel. The ancient elf, so old she was born before the moon and the sun first graced Middle-earth, was a crucial character in Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” novels and Peter Jackson’s “Rings” trilogy, as played by Cate Blanchett.  In “The Rings of Power,” set thousands of years before the events of “The Lord of the Rings,” a younger Galadriel is not yet the serene and wise co-ruler of the Elven kingdom of Lothlórien. Instead, she’s consumed by her hunt for the Dark Lord Sauron, the mysteriously absent master of evil responsible for the death of Galadriel’s brother. In “Rings of Power,” Galadriel is at once hardened by the millennia she’s already been alive, but not yet the stately (and formidable) woman of stature she becomes in the Third Age.

SPOILER ALERT: The first two episodes of Prime Video’s epic The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power are live, and here is a gallery of photos from Season 1. Note that some of the images might be spoilers for those who haven’t watched yet.

SPOILER ALERT: This podcast contains details of the first two episodes of Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which debuted Thursday night. For more on the epic series, watch Deadline’s Inside The Ring: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power after-show that launches Saturday. 

A new era of Middle-earth! The Rings of Power explores a totally different side of The Lord of the Rings — and fittingly, the cast is full of new faces.

The Rings Of Power showrunners have confirmed the show’s ending will remain faithful to J.R.R. Tolkien’s source material.Based on the appendices to the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, The Rings Of Power covers Middle-earth’s Second Age, from the rise of Sauron, the forging of the rings and the last alliance between Elves and Men.The show has been mapped out for five seasons by showrunners JD Payne and Patrick McKay, including an endpoint which won’t deviate from Tolkien’s original works.Asked by NME if they have an ending for the show, McKay said: “Yes, if you’re a fan of the lore or a fan of The Lord Of The Rings, then you know that the rings of power… it’s the rings which were scattered across Middle-earth through Elves, Dwarves and mortal Men as Tolkien called them.

Warning: Spoilers for the first two episodes of “The Rings of Power”.

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not yet watched the two-episode premiere of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.” At the end of the first episode of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” one of two installments dropped by Amazon Prime Video on the show’s launch day, young Harfoot Elanor “Nori” Brandyfoot (Markella Kavenagh) follows a fiery object that’s come shooting down from the skies of Middle-earth to find a mysterious, barely clothed man unconscious at the center of a flaming crater that’s been hollowed out in the earth. By the end of the second episode, Nori and her best friend Poppy Proudfellow (Megan Richards) are watching the large man, played by Daniel Weyman and credited only as “The Stranger,” throw fireflies into the sky to create what Nori thinks is a map of specific stars he’s trying to find — before those fireflies burn out and fall to the ground.

has finally debuted on Prime Video with the first two episodes of season 1. The prequel series adapted from J.R.R.

have finally premiered on Prime Video, kicking off season 1 of the prequel series about the Second Age of Middle-earth about a time set several thousand years before the events of and . During this era of peace and prosperity, there are subtle signs of re-emerging evil as many characters’ lives come crashing together. Among them are the lumbering giant (Daniel Weyman), who crash lands on Middle-earth via a meteor, and the Harfoot, Elanor ‘Nori’ Brandyfoot (Markella Kavenagh), who discovers him. Now that the first two episodes are streaming, both Weyman and Kavenagh address the many theories about the stranger’s true identify, including a popular one that he’s Gandalf, the wise and powerful wizard originally played by Sir Ian McKellen in Peter Jackson’s film adaptations of the novels. [: Spoilers for the first two episodes of .] While Hobbits are canon, and led J.R.R. Tolkien’s previous books, Harfoots are new to the overall franchise.

SPOILER ALERT: This story contains details of Episode 1 of Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

House of the Dragon” vs. Amazon’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.” It’s such fun, isn’t it? Warner Bros. and Jeff Bezos ruthlessly vying for our attention and money like we’re the hottest girl in school.

The Rings Of Power stars Morfydd Clark and Charlie Vickers have discussed the most challenging aspect of filming the Amazon series.Set thousands of years before events in The Lord Of The Rings, The Rings Of Power covers Middle-earth’s Second Age, which spans the rise of Sauron, the forging of the rings and the last alliance between Elves and Men.Clark, who plays a younger version of Galadriel, originally depicted by Cate Blanchett in Peter Jackson’s trilogy, had to undergo extensive underwater training for numerous scenes as the character – which she described as the hardest thing to learn while filming.“We had to learn to hold our breath. I got up to three and a half minutes,” Clark told NME.“That was really challenging because unlike everything else where you get better at it, so it starts to feel better.

Michaela Zee editor“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” is only days away, and the Amazon Prime Video series has earned mostly rave reviews with a few mixed reactions (and one flat-out pan) as critics returned to Middle-earth.As Variety chief TV critic Caroline Framke wrote in her review: “It’s safe to say that Amazon throwing the weight of its coffers at this property has resulted in a perfectly winning adaptation that unfolds swashbuckling adventures with clear reverence and affection for the considerable mythos behind it.”Set during the Second Age of Middle-earth (thousands of years before the events of “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” and “The Hobbit”), the prequel series reintroduces characters from Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings” film trilogy, including a young Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) and Elrond (Robert Aramayo). The Second Age consists of the rise and fall of Númenor, the creation of the Rings of Power and the formation of the Last Alliance.