Fans of The Lord of the Rings are deeply speculating, examining every aspect of the series, The Rings of Power, to unravel the fantasy setting of the planned spinoff, and wondering if the project will follow in the footsteps of Game of Thrones. The fantasy genre, according to the show's co-creator JD Payne, is the only thing that ties the two programmes together.
“Maybe, (people are comparing the LOTR franchise with Game of Thrones) because they both are set in fantasy worlds. But in terms of the feeling of being in those worlds -- being in Westeros feels very different from being in The Shire or being anywhere in Middle Earth,” While taking a break from his busy Asia-Pacific premiere visit in Mumbai, Payne informs us.
“They (the shows) explore very different themes. What’s so amazing about fantasy is that we can explore all kinds of different aspects of the human condition. And Middle Earth explores some timeless themes of underdogs who are performing great feats, the importance of friendship, good and evil, and the corrupting influence of power. We wish them well in their explorations as well,” notes Payne, who has co-created the ambitious show with Patrick McKay.
The prequel series begins a new chapter from the beloved universe of JRR Tolkien's original The Lord of the Rings novels and filmmaker Peter Jackson's Oscar-winning trilogy of films based on the literary work. It is infused with an optimistic theme of finding hope amid the dark hours of reality.
Opening up about tracing the world, and the pressure that comes with it, Payne says, “Tolkien left a lot of room for exploration, and we needed to make sure that we were finding what was there, but filling the holes in Tolkien way. We ended up consulting a lot of experts and the Tolkien family to make sure that when we were inventing, we were doing it in a way that was respectful”.
A casting call for an intimacy coordinator, however, caused controversy for the production team and raised concerns about whether the show will deviate from its original setting by including sex and nudity sequences.
If you are old enough to read the books, you are old enough to watch the television, Payne's response to this supposition is.
“We can put people’s minds to rest there. I have a seven-year-old son, there are things that would be too scary for him probably because we do have some blood and violence, and it is a scary adventure. But there’s nothing that I would think would be expletive or that a mother would be ashamed to watch with her son next to her,” says the creator, who took some time out from his busy schedule to explore Mumbai, and was instantly charmed by the Indian culture.
Even though he anticipates a range of responses to the programme, he believes that its message of virtue triumphing over evil will find an audience.
“It comes with hope that acknowledges the real pain of human suffering. What it is to have to lose people either to death or to evil. But with this genuine darkness, there’s that one ray of sunlight that says, if you keep walking, if you stay true to your friends, then you can do things larger than the armies of evil, which can have a real different impact in this world. I think that’s a message people need to hear,” Payne ends with a promise to come back to India soon with his wife and explore the culture as a tourist.
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